Triple fatality wreck headed to grand jury

Nita Johnson, The Sentinel Echo, London, Ky.
·1 min read

Aug. 9—The wrong-way driver who caused the deaths of three Chicago natives will now face a Laurel grand jury next month.

Joshua Poore, 21, of Clovis, California, appeared for a preliminary hearing in Laurel District Court on Tuesday morning. After testimony by investigating officer, Laurel Sheriff's Detective Chris Edwards, Judge Wendell "Skip" Hammons determined that probable cause existed and referred the case to the September session of a Laurel grand jury. His bond of $1 million cash remains.

Poore was the driver of a Toyota Tacoma truck that was traveling north in the southbound lanes of Interstate 75 on July 25. Laurel Dispatch began receiving calls about the wrong-way driver when Poore passed the weigh station. Surveillance video shows a vehicle matching the description of Poore's passing the weigh station, traveling north in the southbound lanes. It has not been determined where Poore entered the interstate in the wrong lane.

As he neared the 38-mile marker, his vehicle collided head on with a Nissan Altima with three occupants. All three — Deshawn Love, 25; Kevin Criglear, 25; and Alihya Dukes, 25, — all from Chicago, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Poore was transported by Ambulance Inc. of Laurel County to the University of Kentucky Medical Center with "severe but not life threatening" injuries. He was under the custody of the Laurel County Sheriff's Office while hospitalized. Upon his release on July 27, Poore was transported from Lexington to the Laurel County Correctional Center where his bond was set at $1 million cash.

It was determined that Poore's blood alcohol level was .22, which is three times over the legal limit of .08 in Kentucky. Due to that, he was charged with three counts of murder.