Driver in crash that killed four young siblings seeking mercy plea hearing

The truck driver involved in a construction zone crash that killed four siblings and seriously injured their father has signified that he plans to plead guilty in the case, records show. 

The wreck happened in Richmond, Ohio on July 9th, 2020. 

According to WTHR 13 News, 32-year-old Corey Robert Withrow was driving erratically and at high speeds through a work zone when he crashed into the family’s vehicle. The force of the impact killed the three boys in the backseat, ages 13, 8, and 6, and the 15-year-old girl in the passenger seat. Their father, who was driving the car, was severely injured in the incident. Stopped traffic was not a factor in the crash. 

“In the 32 years of law enforcement in my professional career, I can’t say that I’ve seen a traffic crash quite as horrific as this,” said Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter at the time.

A toxicology report later showed that Withrow had multiple drugs in his system at the time of the wreck. Withrow was also found to have multiple drug convictions, including heroin possession, in his home county in Ohio, all within the previous four years. 

Withrow was initially scheduled for trial on November 1st, but a mercy pleas hearing has been scheduled instead. The mercy plea hearing, scheduled for February 24th, likely means that Withrow will plead guilty to all charges and ask the judge for mercy in his sentencing.