Investigator: Woman's gas pedal was all the way to the floor right before crash that killed family
Just after 8 p.m. on St. Patrick's Day 2019, ODOT cameras show traffic was fairly light on I-75 through the city of Moraine, especially in the southbound lanes.
Montgomery County prosecutors showed the footage to Judge Steven Dankof Tuesday during Abby Michaels' murder trial.
At one point in the video, prosecutors pointed out headlights in the southbound lane instead of tail lights.
Prosecutors said that was Michaels' car. They claim she intentionally drove the wrong way on the highway and crashed almost immediately into the Thompson family's car.
Timmy Thompson, his wife Karen Thompson and their 10-year-old daughter Tessa were killed. They were on their way home to Mason after visiting family up north.
"The crash scene was large. It was very severe, and there a was tremendous amount of debris," Sgt. John Howard of the Moraine Police Department said.
Prior to the crash, Michaels was at Ron's Pizza in Miamisburg. Security footage shows her leaving the restaurant shortly before 8 p.m.
Prosecutors said she contacted her husband – who filed for divorce just two days earlier – asking to come over.
When he said no, he testified Michaels told him goodbye and she was going to drive "backwards" on I-75.
In trying to prove the crash was intentional, prosecutors called Howard to the stand. He testified about what the data taken from Michaels' car revealed.
"When I see an engine throttle percentage as I do in this report of 100%, it means I had my gas pedal held down on the floor," Howard said.
Prosecutors said Michaels had been heading north in the northbound lane but used an emergency turnaround in the middle of the highway to enter the southbound lane while she continued to travel north.
Howard described what the data showed during that maneuver.
"As the vehicle is coming out of the right-hand turn, the gas pedal goes to the floor and stays that way for about a second. There is some steering input, it goes to the left, then back to the right, and then it levels off at zero with a high level of throttle throughout that time frame," Howard said.
Howard said the gas pedal was all the way down seconds before the collision.
Defense attorneys claim Michaels was having a seizure and wasn't physically in control of her car at the time of the deadly crash.
During cross-examination, Howard admitted various other factors could impact steering other than the driver.
"Data points from an EDR do not tell us anything whatsoever as to what was going on in that vehicle with the operator of that vehicle?" defense attorney Tony Cicero asked.
"That is true," Howard said.
Prosecutors rested their case after Howard's testimony.
Defense attorneys are expected to call one witness tomorrow afternoon, a doctor who will testify about Michaels' medical issues.
Prosecutors said they have one rebuttal witness to call on Thursday.
Judge Dankof is expected to hear closing arguments Thursday afternoon.
Michaels faces six counts of murder and three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide.