Sheriff’s office: ‘Outcome would have been different’ in prom night crash with seat belt use

Seat belts played a role in the outcome of a crash that killed one Monroe High School student and injured three others on their way to prom last week, according to an official with the sheriff’s department.

The Butler County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation of the April 27 crash near the intersection of Butler Warren and Millikin roads.

“If they had all been wearing their seat belts the outcome would have been different,” said Butler County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Anthony Dwyer. “I just can’t say how different.”

Chynna Brandon, 17, was driving the 2013 Tesla when it veered off the right side of Millikin Road at about 6:10 p.m. Brandon over-corrected, then drove into a ditch before hitting a telephone pole, according to the accident report.

One backseat passenger, Kaylie Jackson, 17, a senior at Monroe High School, died from her injuries on Monday afternoon, the school district said.

She was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the car, according to the accident report.

Brandon and two passengers — Tanner Allford, 17, and Mitchell Foster Jr., 18 — were treated at University of Cincinnati Medical Center, then released on Sunday.

MORE: Passenger in fatal Monroe prom night crash: ‘Don’t take life for granted’

Brandon was wearing her seat belt and she wasn’t ejected from the car, according to the report.

Foster Jr., who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was also wearing a seat belt and wasn’t ejected. He was extricated from the vehicle.

Allford, who was sitting behind the driver, was ejected, though it’s unknown whether or not he was wearing a seat belt, according to the accident report.

Detectives from the sheriff’s office used a drone this week to map the path the vehicle travelled before crashing. They will also be gathering data from the time around when the vehicle’s airbags deployed, Dwyer said.

The investigation is not complete and there have been no charges or citations issued.

MORE: Father of Monroe student in prom night crash describes getting shocking call

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