The case against the mother of the 10-year-old girl who died early last month in a two-vehicle crash along I-75 and the man who was operating the moped at the time the crash occurred will be presented to a Whitley County grand jury.
Danisha Martin, 32, of Corbin, and Darius Wade, 31, of Lexington, both appeared in Whitley District Court on Tuesday for a preliminary hearing, where the investigating officer provided the court with testimony regarding the incident.
The crash occurred at approximately 11 p.m. on Aug. 4, when a moped, operated by Wade, was struck by a Kia Sportage SUV near the 26-mile marker of I-75 in Whitley County.
According to testimony from Kentucky State Police Trooper Aaron Jones, preliminary investigations have shown that the collision initially occurred in the right lane of the northbound lane when the SUV struck the moped in the rear before the vehicles eventually came to rest “straddling the left shoulder of the roadway.”
“After impact, it appears the vehicles switched lanes,” said Jones.
Both Wade and his passenger, 10-year-old Samya Lasha Strozier, sustained injuries during the crash. Wade was airlifted from The Corbin Arena to the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington and Strozier was transported to Baptist Health Corbin before also being airlifted to the UK Medical Center.
Once arriving at the UK Medical Center, Strozier succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased by the Fayette County Coroner’s Office.
Jones testified that Wade’s blood alcohol content (BAC) after being taken to the hospital showed to be .131, well over the Kentucky limit of .08.
Additionally, Jones stated that surveillance footage was obtained from Speedway at Exit 25 from the night of the crash, which showed Wade pulling into the gas station from the direction of the interstate with Strozier on the moped at approximately 10:40 p.m. The pair were in the store for about nine minutes before exiting with chips, a drink and a six-pack of beer. Wade then left the gas station in the direction toward the interstate, according to Jones.
Jones noted that mopeds are not permitted on I-75 and that there is signage indicating that fact in various locations.
In the days following the crash, Martin, Strozier’s mother, and her neighbors at Corbin Manor Apartments in Laurel County were interviewed by both police and social workers. Jones testified that Strozier had spent the night with one of Martin’s neighbors the night before the crash, which is where Wade had also been staying. Before Wade left with Strozier, the neighbor notified Martin that Wade had been drinking and Martin allowed Strozier to ride with Wade anyway.
In an interview with social workers, Martin allegedly blamed herself for the incident. According to Jones’ testimony, Martin told social workers: “It is my fault. I let her go.”
Martin was arrested Aug. 7, just days after her daughter’s death, and charged with complicity murder.
While in the hospital, a warrant for Wade’s arrest was obtained. He was later taken into custody Aug. 20 after being released from the hospital. He was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol and murder in connection to the incident.
The driver of the SUV, identified as Michael J. Stout, 43, of Indiana, was travelling back home from a trip to Tennessee when the crash occurred. According to Jones, Stout allegedly told police that he noticed “a shadow” in the road prior to the collision and attempted to brake, but that it was too late.
Jones testified that he obtained the bulbs from the moped in hopes that the KSP Crime Lab could determine if they were operation at the time the crash occurred, but noted that in the surveillance footage from Speedway that the lights had been working.
Further, a preliminary investigation of black box data from Stout’s vehicle allegedly showed that he was driving at 79 mph at the time of the collision. The speed limit is 70 mph. A blood draw was also performed on Stout, though Jones said he has not received those results.
Judge Cathy Prewitt, who presided over the case, found there to be probable cause to send the case to a Whitley County grand jury, where prosecutors will seek to indict Martin and Wade on their charges. The pair will return to Whitley Circuit Court on Oct. 21 to learn if they have been indicted.
Both Martin and Wade remain jailed in the Whitley County Detention Center.
