DAYTON — Investigators said a man was drunk when he hit and killed a 64-year-old Miamisburg man, but he said it was not his fault.
The crash happened on West Social Row Road in February 2024.
News Center 7’s Mike Campbell was in court today and heard two very different stories.
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The only thing the two sides agree on is that the death of 64-year-old Mark Pike, Jr., is a tragedy. But after that, the views of what happened and who is to blame could not be more opposite.
Prosecutor Jennifer Lohr said, “Mark Pike was coming home from work. Jonathan Elkins was coming home from a bar.”
Prosecutors wasted no time telling the jury that they believe Elins caused Pike’s death.
“The state will prove to you that Jonathan Elkins was reckless, that he was intoxicated,” Lohr said.
She said Pike died while driving on West Social Row Road on February 2, 2024. She said that’s because Elkins drove while impaired and drove recklessly. He jumped a curb when he lost control of a pickup truck Lohr described as “souped up.”
Investigators said the pickup truck crossed the median and hit Pike’s Ford Fusion head-on. He died at the scene.
However, Elkins’ defense attorney, Bradley Anderson, told a much different story. They claimed that Elkins was beside another large SUV, which was supposed to merge when his lane ended, but the driver of that Tahoe refused and pushed Elkins further and further over until his car jumped a concrete curb into the median.
Anderson also claimed that flatten two tires and busted the pickup truck’s tie rods, leaving him with no control.
“They cannot prove he was impaired by alcohol. They cannot prove that an OVI offense caused this accident. They cannot provide that he acted recklessly,” Anderson said.
The prosecution has already called three witnesses after opening statements, including a witness to the cross-over fatal crash.
Elkins’ attorney claimed the jury will hear from that third driver at some point in the trial, which will resume on Tuesday morning.
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