Ohio State Police investigators say a 17-year-old Goshen Township was driving with a license suspended for a DUI when he allegedly caused a fatal accident while street racing in Clermont County last month.
The information was contained in a 64-page report compiled by Trooper James Sparkman of the Batavia Post. It was released Thursday.
The document will be forwarded to the Clermont County Prosecutor’s Office to see if charges are warranted.
The accident occurred during the early morning hours of April 29 on Newtonsville Road in Wayne Township.
The crash claimed the life of Mitchell Woodruff, 22, of Clermont County’s Miami Township.
Six cars were involved in what investigators call an illegal street race.
Nine people made statements to authorities, including Joshua Shriner, 21, of Pleasant Plain, a passenger in the Goshen Township youth’s vehicle.
The police report says the 17-year old and Dustin Purcell, 21, of Loveland, were racing their cars at speeds between 90 and 100 miles an hour, when the teenager’s car went left of center.
Purcell’s vehicle ran off the road, overturned and landed in a ditch.
Woodruff, who was riding in the back seat and wasn’t wearing a seat belt, was ejected.
Purcell was seriously injured. A front seat passenger, Chris Spurling, 23, of Goshen Township, sustained cuts and bruises.
Police say the teenager fled the scene after hearing of the accident, but didn’t known anyone had died until informed of that fact by troopers.
He told investigators he left because he was supposed to be at his mother’s house, but was late.
Later, he indicated that his license had been suspended because of a DUI he received on Valentine’s Day this year.
Investigators said neither drugs or alcohol was a factor in the crash.
