Friday, June 25, 1999
Police blame alcohol, speeding in fatal crash
BY SHEILA McLAUGHLIN
The Cincinnati Enquirer
SPRINGBORO — A combination of drinking and speeding is to blame for a crash that killed a 15-year-old West Carrollton girl and injured four other Dayton-area teens, police said Thursday.
Witnesses told police Jacob Warner's 1979 Cadillac seemed to be traveling more than 50 mph on a 35 mph straight-away when it spun out of control on Lytle Five Points Road near Yankee Road about 8 p.m. Wednesday.
The car hit a guardrail, flipped and came to rest on its side against a tree.
Passenger Sarah Reedy died shortly after the crash at Sycamore Hospital. Her death marked the 11th fatality and the third teen death this year in 10 Warren County crashes.
Mr. Warner, 18, of Dayton, and passengers, Holly Mosley, 17, and Kelly Berry, 20, were released from Dayton-area hospitals on Thursday. A fourth passenger, John Terrell, 18, remained hospitalized in serious but stable condition at Kettering Memorial Hospital.
The teens, some wearing bathing suits, apparently were returning home from a trip to Caesar Creek State Park.
“There were various open flasks of assorted alcoholic beverages. It's a tragedy that could have been prevented,” Springboro Police Chief Dan McDonald said.
“I want the youth in the community to please look at this and understand it only takes one mistake. There is no second chance for this young girl. Nobody knows what that young girl could have become.” Charges of aggravated vehicular homicide will be considered against Mr. Warner when blood tests and the results of Ms. Reedy's autopsy are completed early next week, he said.
If an adult supplied the alcohol, that person, too, could be charged.
“It comes very close to negligent homicide,” Chief McDonald said.
Michael Wilson hurried to the scene in his front yard Wednesday night to offer what comfort he could until help arrived.
He saw two bloodied teens crawling out of the wreckage and two girlson the ground outside the battered car. One boy stumbled aimlessly , his neck bleeding, his arm obviously broken, Mr. Wilson said.
Thursday, he wondered what it would take to make people realize that cars and alcohol were a lethal mix.
His own life had been touched 40 years earlier when his 24-year-old sister was killed in a car driven by her drunken husband.
In 1997, drivers 16 to 20 were involved in 110,000 crashes that killed 211 teen drivers..
“That is the worst age group for all of those categories. It's a constant. It's the immaturity and invincibility,” said David Cooke, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Public Safety.
“They don't have that much driving experience and there is a lot more peer pressure to do things. ”
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