Tri-State man pleads in OVI crash that killed girlfriend
The driver had smoked marijuana shortly before driving off I-75, authorities say.
CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A man pleaded guilty this week in an OVI crash that killed his passenger last year.
Kevin Ferguson, 25, was driving on I-75 South near the Crittenden exit with 23-year-old Jordan Miller in his car around 2 a.m. on April 18, 2021.
Police say he lost control, left the right side of the highway and hit a tree. Kenton County Commonwealth’s Attorney Rob Sanders says first responders couldn’t locate the crash at first because Ferguson had run so far off the highway.
Miller was pronounced dead at the scene.
Miller’s family says she and Ferguson been in a relationship for more than three years prior to that April night.
“Especially horrific when it’s an innocent victim, but even when it’s killing someone they love, it’s just a bad outcome for everybody,” Sanders said.
Ferguson pleaded guilty to a count of vehicular manslaughter on Monday.
Sanders says Ferguson blew a 0.04 after the crash, half the legal BAC limit in Kentucky, but that he also smoked marijuana shortly beforehand.
“Given the combination of both marijuana and alcohol, he was definitely under the influence at the time of the crash,” Sanders said.
Miller’s family offered a statement Wednesday:
“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.
“Until now Kevin has taken no accountability and has expressed limited remorse for the crash that killed our beloved Jordan. 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.”
Ferguson’s final sentencing is in January. Prosecutors are recommending five years.
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