On Oct. 15, a 55-year-old woman allegedly high on heroin struck a female pedestrian and two utility poles. According to local police, the woman somehow lost control of her vehicle while she was driving on Beechmont Avenue in the vicinity of the Five Mile Road intersection. Her car then collided with a utility pole and launched into the air, striking a second pole and eventually a 49-year-old woman. The pedestrian was taken to the hospital with significant injuries, and the motorist was treated for non-critical injuries, according to reports.
It is unclear how fast the woman was driving or what caused her to lose control. Police reportedly brought her up on multiple charges, such as failing to maintain appropriate control and aggravated assault. Because authorities allegedly discovered hypodermic syringes in her vehicle, she also faces an indictment for possession of drug paraphernalia.
A representative for the Hamilton County Sheriff said that the police believe the woman was driving under the influence of heroin, claiming that she had admitted to using it recently. It is unclear whether the syringes discovered actually contained traces of the drug, however, and police did not state whether they had verified their suspicions by drug testing her.
Ohio drug charges may carry harder penalties when they are related to incidents such as vehicle accidents or other events that result in personal harm. Some authorities rely on suggestive evidence, such as the presence of paraphernalia, to portray the accused as being guilty without properly establishing their wrongdoing. Individuals who face these kinds of crimes commonly try to assess the legal nuances of their cases in great detail to determine what kind of penalties they might face and devise effective defense strategies.
Source: WCPO, “Driver faces drug, assault charges after hitting pedestrian in Anderson Township“, Scott Wegener, October 15, 2014