DAYTON — A Dayton man has been sentenced to prison for a deadly crash in June 2020 that resulted in the death of one of his passengers.
Caleb Whitfield, 22, was sentenced to the maximum and consecutive sentence of at least 17 years in prison, according to a release from Prosecuting Attorney Mat Heck, Jr.
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On June 25, 2020, Harrison Township deputies spotted a vehicle, being driven by Whitfield, that had been reported stolen in an aggravated robbery.
When deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, Whitfield struck a detective’s vehicle and fled, according to the release.
Prosecutors said Whitfield then led deputies on pursuit before losing control of the vehicle he was driving and crashing.
Whitfield attempted to flee but was quickly taken into custody, the release said.
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One of the passengers in the vehicle, later identified as 18‐year‐old Rodnesha Thompson, was killed as a result of the crash. Two other passengers in the vehicle suffered serious injuries.
In August 2021, Whitfield was indicted on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, failure to comply, two counts of vehicular assault and resisting arrest.
After a trial on March 1, 2022, the jury returned verdicts of guilty as charged on all counts.
Whitfield did not have a driver’s license at the time of the crash, according to the release.
In addition to being sentenced to serve at least 17 years in prison, Whitfield’s driver’s license has also been ordered to be suspended for life.