Prosecutor: Man pleads guilty in Northern Kentucky OVI crash that killed girlfriend

A Cincinnati man has pleaded guilty in a fatal crash in Northern Kentucky that resulted in the death of his girlfriend, prosecutors said.

Kevin Ferguson Jr., 26, pleaded guilty on Monday to second-degree manslaughter, according to the Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney's Office. Prosecutors are recommending a sentence of five years in prison.

Ferguson was indicted in May, over a year after the crash, court records show. He initially pleaded not guilty.

In April of last year, Ferguson was driving southbound on Interstate 75 when he lost control of his vehicle and struck a tree, according to the Kenton County Police Department. He was injured during the crash and taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment and was later released.

Jordan Miller, 23, also of Cincinnati, was in the front passenger seat. She sustained fatal injuries during the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said, adding no other vehicles were involved.

In court filings, prosecutors say Ferguson was under the influence of alcohol and marijuana at the time of the incident.

"Emergency responders had trouble locating the vehicle because Ferguson had no idea where he was," Kenton County Commonwealth's Attorney Rob Sanders wrote in a correspondence filed in court.

"Investigation also showed Ferguson spent approximately 5 minutes on the phone with a friend before calling 911," Sanders wrote.

Ferguson and Miller were in an on-again, off-again relationship, Sanders said in court filings.

“She had so much to offer the world and her purpose was cut short. This event has been devastating and she is truly missed. We want people to remember her as she lived and not how she died. Her life was so much more than this tragedy," Miller's family said in a statement provided to Enquirer media partner Fox19.

“Until now Kevin has taken no accountability and has expressed limited remorse for the crash that killed our beloved Jordan," the statement reads. "He was negligent that night and his plea will finally put an end to the legal aspect of this horrific tragedy and afford us the opportunity to begin moving forward with celebrating her life.”

A final sentencing hearing is scheduled for Jan. 10, court records show.

Enquirer media partner Fox19 contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Prosecutor: Man pleads guilty in NKY crash that killed girlfriend