Suspect in I-75 St. Patrick’s Day deadly wrong-way crash competent for trial, judge rules

MORAINE — The woman facing murder and other charges in connection to a wrong-way crash on St. Patrick’s Day that killed three people is competent to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday.

Abby Michaels, who was indicted in July on six counts of murder, six counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, appeared before Judge Steven K. Dankof.

RELATED: Estranged husband: Wife in deadly crash planned ‘to drive backwards on I-75’

Michaels is the accused driver in the crash on I-75 that killed husband and wife Timmy and Karen Thompson, and their 10-year-old daughter Tessa, all of Mason, last March.

Multiple psychological evaluations had been ordered for the 21-year-old woman seeking to plead not guilty by reason of insanity.

EARLIER: Wrong-way driver in crash that killed 3 seeks to change plea

“A family of three lost their lives due to this defendant’s deliberate actions,” the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement. “The investigation determined the defendant was driving under the influence of alcohol at the time she crashed into the victims’ vehicle head-on.”

EARLIER: Ohio unveils way to curb wrong-way deaths; local driver faces murder charges

County Prosecutor Mat Heck Jr. has said Michaels deliberately drove the wrong way northbound in the southbound lanes of I-75 in Moraine after pulling over in an emergency U-Turn area on the highway.

Blood-alcohol tests show Michaels was above the legal limit, police records show, but Heck said that was not a factor in the wreck.

A statement from Michaels’ estranged husband on July 8 indicated she told him “I’m going to drive backwards on I-75” just minutes before the triple-fatal crash occurred, according to Moraine Police Division records.

Michaels’ husband said she called him about 8 p.m. March 17 and it appeared she had been drinking.