Truck Driver In Fatal Accident Accused Of Texting, Deleting Texts

A truck driver involved in a fatal accident that shut down traffic on I-71 in Verona for most of a day last January was texting while driving, according to a release from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

Ohio driver Christopher Thornhill allegedly deleted several texts from around the time of the crash, but the Sherriff’s office was able to recover them. Investigators also revealed that his logbook had been falsified.

The January 29 accident happened when Thornhill was traveling north on I-71. He was presumably texting when he sideswiped an unoccupied vehicle, then lost control, crossed the median, and smashed into two other vehicles. One of the motorists died on the scene, while the other suffered life-threatening injuries.

Thirty-three year old Thornhill is facing charges of second-degree manslaughter, second-degree assault, tampering with physical evidence, and four first-degree felony criminal mischief charges. He will also have to answer for three counts of federal DOT log book violations, a communication device violation (texting) and a federal DOT violation of using a cell phone in a commercial vehicle.

Source:
Cinncinnatti.com
ABC 22