Prosecutor: Man in triple-fatal I-275 crash was ‘erratically changing lanes’ before crash

Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

Andrew Blankenship was intoxicated, driving between 90 and 100 mph without headlights and "erratically changing lanes" when he caused a crash earlier this month that killed three people, prosecutors said Monday.

Blankenship, of Cold Spring, Kentucky, was indicted Monday in Hamilton County Common Pleas Court on multiple counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and aggravated vehicular assault. He faces a maximum sentence of 27 years in prison, officials said.

The crash happened April 7 at approximately 9:30 p.m. on eastbound Interstate 275 in Anderson Township.

In addition to speeding without headlights on, according to prosecutors, multiple witnesses told authorities that Blankenship's Dodge Dakota pickup was passing vehicles on the highway's shoulder.

When the crash happened, two vehicles and a tow truck were stopped in the right shoulder.

A 2002 Dodge Stratus driven by Janaya Glover had become disabled, prosecutors said, and Richard Glaser parked his 2015 Lexus behind the Stratus to help. Keith Skaggs, a AAA tow truck driver, was kneeling near the Stratus' right front tire.

Prosecutors said Blankenship, 29, who was speeding, drove on the right shoulder and struck the Lexus. The force of the impact pushed the Lexus into the Stratus and the Stratus into the tow truck.

Glaser, 66, had to be extricated from the Lexus and died from his injuries. Glover, 22, was killed by the impact, and a passenger in her Stratus was seriously injured. Skaggs, 38, was struck and killed.

According to prosecutors, at the time of the crash, the lights on Skaggs' tow truck were flashing and he was wearing reflective clothing.

Bystanders tried to assist everyone who was injured and were able to remove Blankenship from his pickup. Investigators with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office determined that he was under the influence of alcohol, prosecutors said.

Blankenship's attorney, Brad Groene, declined to comment.

In a statement, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said Blankenship needs to be held responsible "to the greatest extent the law will allow" and "removed from society so he cannot hurt anyone else."

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Prosecutor: Man in triple-fatal crash was ‘erratically changing lanes’