Credit: Montgomery County Jail
Credit: Montgomery County Jail
The crash led the Dayton Unit NAACP to demand harsher penalties for drivers who cause deadly crashes and uniform law enforcement policies regarding when to pursue a suspect.
The May 20 pursuit and crash at state Route 49 and U.S. 35 killed motorist Colby Anthony Ross, 35, of Dayton, who was not involved in the chase.
A Butler Twp. police officer broadcast around 4:40 p.m. May 20 that a white SUV was wanted for felony failure to comply charges after an attempted traffic stop in the Miller Lane and Benchwood Road area. The SUV’s driver, identified as Hutchins, fled from police during rush hour south on Interstate 75 in a construction zone, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said previously.
“Approximately three hours later a plainclothes sheriff’s detective in an unmarked vehicle observed the white SUV on Free Pike Avenue,” he said.
The detective was part of Project Safe Neighborhood Targeted Enforcement that works to reduce violent crime and gun violence and which included aerial support from a law enforcement partner, the sheriff said.
“As the wanted vehicle was stopped at the intersection on Free Pike near state Route 49, the detective was able to deploy a tire deflation device on the vehicle successfully,” Streck said. “The vehicle then drove off and failed to yield for deputies, fleeing southbound on state Route 49. A deputy in a marked patrol car initiated a pursuit while waiting on the confirmation that the helicopter was overhead and locking onto the suspect vehicle.
Speeds during the three-minute pursuit approached 90 mph, the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office said.
Dash camera video from the deputy in pursuit shows Hutchins start to pull over a few times, but then take off. It also shows the white SUV lose its right rear tire and spin out on state Route 49, either crashing or almost crashing into another car before continuing south on state Route 49.
“The driver accelerated, running the red light at West Third Street and narrowly missing several stopped vehicles. The vehicle struck a BMW convertible that was headed eastbound on U.S. 35. The BMW was forced into the westbound lane, where it struck a black pickup truck. The driver of the BMW was ejected from the vehicle. Although deputies immediately provided aid and requested fire and medics who were stationed nearby, the driver and sole occupant of the BMW was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries,” Streck said.
Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. said, “Another example of the tragic consequences that can occur when drivers flee from police. There is no excuse for fleeing from a simple traffic stop.”
Hutchins does not have a license and did not own the SUV she was driving. She also has been charged many times before for driving without a valid license, the sheriff said.
The most recent charge was for a hit-and-run crash on June 10, 2023, in Trotwood, during which she did not have a valid license, Montgomery County Municipal Court records show.
According to her Friday indictment, Hutchins tested positive for either 150 nanograms of cocaine in her urine or 50 nanograms in her blood.
She remains held on $500,000 bail in the Montgomery County Jail.
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