A Berea man who survived a fatal traffic accident last month has been charged with murder for his role in the crash.
Berea police had initially charged Elmer R. French, 70, with second-degree driving under the influence after a Dec. 3 accident near the intersection of Scaffold Cane Road and Logston Lane. Police say French’s Dodge pickup truck crossed the center line and hit a Toyota Camry head-on. The driver of the Camry, Jason C. Isaacs, 35, was taken to St. Joseph Berea Hospital , and then to the University of Kentucky Hospital, where he died from blunt force injuries.
French was cited at the time of the accident. He was taken to St. Joseph Berea, but was later transferred to UK hospital for severe, non-life-threatening injuries, said Berea Police Capt. Ken Clark.
Investigators added the murder charge after talking with prosecutors, he said.
Vehicular homicide defendants can face at least three charges, which have wide-ranging penalties: reckless homicide, 1-5 years; second-degree manslaughter, 5-10 years; and wanton murder, 20 years to life.
When asked about the decision to charge French with murder, Clark cited Kentucky Revised Statutes, which states that a person can be found guilty of murder if they operated a motor vehicle under extreme indifference to human life and caused the death of another person.
Clark said French’s blood alcohol concentration was at least twice the legal limit, but declined to say what the exact concentration was.
French surrendered to police at the Madison County jail in Richmond 12:30 p.m. Friday. French was released from the jail after posting a $100,000 bond.
Herald-Leader reporter Ross Jacobson contributed to this story.
Nobody wins when a person is killed in any traffic accident. But why? do people think that driving under the influence of alcohol or some substance won’t come back to haunt them? Think of the man from Carrolton, KY driving head on into a bus load of children, under the influence..He is probably out of prison now, but the State Police and Local Police Departments should have the man speak to any D.U.I. arrested. His whole world changed in one error in judgement. And others lifes changed due to that accident forever. Nobody Wins in these instances.
Ok..this is a very difficult subject. Drinking and driving in my eyes, is one of the worst things a person could ever do…Even though I have had a few drinks in the past and climbed behind the wheel, it took me losing a best friend to drinking and driving to learn the true pain it can cause. My father has 13 DUI’s on his record and spent 8 years in jail over it..But watching my father and his alcoholism has gave me a real understanding of the disease.
I used to think about my dad out drinking and driving…everywhere he went, and I remember thinking, what if he hits a school bus full of kids, or what if he hit a car with a mother and her children in the car, or what if he hit a tree and died? Drinking and driving destroys everyone it touches…
This man should definitly do some time, for taking that mans life, so carelessly, but I also think they should factor his age into it…
This man did not mean to hurt anyone..And honestly, someone who is 70 yrs old that can barely see an hear shouldnt have a drivers license anyways…Ok I said my peace!