Ga. woman faces charges in crash that injured trooper
A Georgia woman accused of seriously injuring an Ohio Highway Patrol trooper earlier this month when her vehicle plowed into his cruiser and sent it hurtling into him was indicted Thursday on six charges by a Franklin County grand jury.
Alea C. Weil, 29, of Atlanta, was indicted on charges of aggravated vehicular assault, vehicular assault, possession of a fentanyl-related compound, possession of cocaine and two counts of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse, or a combination of them,, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office.
The charges stem from a morning crash Feb. 13 on Interstate 71 northbound near Grove City in southwestern Franklin County that left Trooper Adrian Wilson, 44, hospitalized with serious injuries.
In a complaint filed in Franklin County Municipal Court, troopers accused Weil of slamming her Toyota Rav4 SUV into the back of Wilson's marked patrol cruiser. Wilson, a trooper for 15 years, had been stopped on the side of the interstate with his overhead emergency lights flashing to remove debris from the road. The crash sent his cruiser careening forward into him, the patrol said.
Wilson was taken to Ohiohealth Grant Medical Center with a severe head injury, a broken leg and other serious injuries, according to court documents.
Witnesses reported seeing Weil driving erratically and crossing lanes prior to the crash on northbound I-71 around mile post 97 near U.S. 62, according to the court complaint.
During the investigation, cocaine and fentanyl were found in Weil's vehicle and it was later determined that Weil was under the influence of cocaine and fentanyl at the time of the crash, according to the Franklin County Prosecutor's Office.
During the investigation, troopers reportedly recovered .0836 grams (equivalent to 86 milligrams) of fentanyl, which the complaint alleges was in plain view on the driver's side floor. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, even two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person's body size, tolerance and past usage.
Weil is scheduled to make her first court appearance Wednesday. @Colebehr_report Cbehrens@dispatch.com