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Teen cited for fatal crash

Edgewood student is charged with misdemeanor in wreck that killed retired teacher.

Butler County Sheriff's Department deputies Mike Steele and Terry McClanahan inspect the two cars involved in a fatal accident Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at the intersection of Cotton Run Road and Oxford-Middletown Road in Wayne Twp.

Daggy, Nick Butler County Sheriff's Department deputies Mike Steele and Terry McClanahan inspect the two cars involved in a fatal accident Tuesday, June 2, 2009 at the intersection of Cotton Run Road and Oxford-Middletown Road in Wayne Twp.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Location of two-car crash that claimed the life of Thomas Highley.

ENLARGE PHOTO

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer Updated 7:09 AM Friday, June 12, 2009

HAMILTON — The teen driver in a crash that killed a retired Edgewood schoolteacher has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter, according to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.

Thomas Highley, 58, of West Elkton Road, was killed Wednesday, June 3, when his 2008 Hyundai Accent was struck at Cotton Run and Oxford-Middletown roads by a 2005 Toyota Corolla driven by 17-year-old Leeann Channell of Wayne Twp.

Channell, the daughter of Edgewood High School athletic director and football coach Steve Channell, was issued a summons Thursday, June 11, to appear in juvenile court on charges of vehicular manslaughter and failure to stop for a stop sign. She is scheduled to be arraigned at 8 a.m. June 24 by a magistrate.

Vehicular manslaughter, a first-degree misdemeanor, carries a penalty of up to 90 days behind bars for a juvenile, according to the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office.

According to the accident report, Channell allegedly failed to yield the right of way from a stop sign while traveling south on Cotton Run.

The report estimates Channell’s speed at 20 mph and Highley’s at 45 mph at the time of the crash. Channell was wearing a seat belt, but Highley was not.

Prosecutor Robin Piper said since Channell has no prior record, incarceration is unlikely.

She will likely face probation and suspension of driving privileges, he said.

“We need young people to understand the seriousness of driving a vehicle,” Piper said, adding that stopping for stop signs and red lights is not an option. “You don’t stop because there may be someone coming, you stop because it is the law.”

Thomas Highley

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Saying "when it's your time to go, you're gonna go no matter what" is irresponsible. It completely undermines society and our legal system. If someone gets shot should we just say, oh well, I guess it was their time to go.

common sense
11:35 AM, 6/16/2009

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tom highley was a very close friend of mine, and i could not have known a more loving & caring person in my life, and he would want the courts to be as lieniant with leeann as they possibly could. so please let him rest in peace and leave her be she has enough to think about right now, she don't need anymore.

taira mccoy
11:11 PM, 6/12/2009

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ok look you all need to stop the comments about wether or not he was wearing the seatbelt,it don't matter when it's your time your gonna go no matter what. tom always wore his helmet when he rode his bike, so you can't say he wasn't wearing his seatbelt.

taira mccoy
11:03 PM, 6/12/2009

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Get real, it was NOT an accident that she ran the STOP sign. An yes she may well have been doing only 20 MPH.

SkruffyCaptain
7:32 PM, 6/12/2009

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You mean to tell me that she was doing 20 and him 45.. I don't agree with that at all. Someone was going faster than that. I feel for both parties, but c'mon someone was majorly speeding. I live out that way and people don't do 20 or even 45..more like 60 and 75...

Jessica Bowman
5:30 PM, 6/12/2009

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