Woman pleads guilty after using van to hit men, killing 1 outside Kroger in 2022

CINCINNATI (WXIX) - A woman will spend between 18 to 23 years in prison for running over and killing a man outside of the Spring Grove Village Kroger in August 2022.

Taah’viya Chapman was in court Thursday as she pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and felonious assault in connection with the death of Christopher Griffith.

On Aug. 31, 2022, Chapman dropped off her boyfriend, Jawon Lunsford, at Kroger, according to former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters.

While inside the store, Deters said Chapman went through Lunsford’s phone and found what she considered to be inappropriate texts between her sister and her boyfriend.

Chapman then used her van to hit Lunsford as he walked out of Kroger, Deters said.

Walking in front of Kroger at the same time as Lunsford was Griffith, an innocent bystander.

Griffith, 58, suffered injuries when Chapman hit him, which led to his death at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, according to Hamilton County Coroner’s Office.

“She took this three-ton vehicle and plowed into him and plowed into Christopher Griffith, an innocent man on a cane walking across a crosswalk,” Deters said.

Lunsford sustained a broken leg in the crash.

Prosecutor Deters showed the video of the crash back in September 2022.

In the video, Chapman is seen getting out of the van and running over to Lunsford as he lies on the ground.

Chapman then proceeds to punch her boyfriend numerous times, Deters said as the video played.

While Chapman was out of the vehicle, she left her and Lunsford’s 8-month-old daughter in the car.

“Her car was disabled,” Deters explained. “She exited the vehicle leaving her 8-month-old baby in the car and proceeds to go to her boyfriend and start beating him after he’s been run over by this car.”

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