(Montgomery County, OH) - Tuesday morning, Abby Marie Michaels, 21, of Xenia was arraigned in the deadly drunk driving, one way crash on St. Patrick's Day that killed a 10-year-old and her parents from Mason.
Michaels appeared by teleconference and her attorney entered not guilty pleas on her behalf. The judge set her bond at $3 million dollars. She is charged with six counts of murder, six counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol.
Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck says Michaels deliberately drove her Kia the wrong way on Interstate 75 after drinking at a Miamisburg bar on St. Patrick's Day, 2019 and hit a car head on. The crash killed Timmy and Karen Thompson and their 10-year-old daughter Tessa, of Mason as they returned from a family vacation.
Michaels reportedly spent a month in the hospital after the crash and was arrested at a mental health facility in Washington Township last Thursday.
According to Moraine police, Michaels entered the southbound lanes on I-75 from an emergency turn-around in the median near the 49 mile marker and accelerated, crashing into Thompson's oncoming Toyota Camry.
Michaels blood alcohol content was above the legal limit, but Heck says the evidence shows intoxication “was not a contributing factor in this crash.”
“This was not an accident," Heck said at a news conference announcing the indictments. "This defendant was upset and decided to take the action that she did.”
“Evidence shows this defendant knew what she was doing and what she wanted to accomplish,” he said.