Investigators said Howard was driving impaired at the time of the crash, around 3:40 a.m., on southbound I-75 in West Chester Twp. Lt. Clint Arnold said alcohol was a factor in the crash and other impairments were being tested.
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Motorcyclist Timothy Sharp, 51, was pronounced dead at the scene. He died from multiple traumatic injuries, and his death was ruled an accident, according to the Butler County Coroner’s Office.
During a preliminary hearing in October in Butler County Area III Court, Ohio State Trooper Justin Valentine testified he was parked in the median of the northbound lanes watching traffic early on the morning of Oct. 22 when a vehicle pulled up to report the incident.
“They (occupants of the vehicle) stated there was a body in the road on the southbound side,” Valentine said.
The trooper then went to the scene and found Sharp in the road, a motorcycle and Howard in his Acura pulled to the side of the interstate.
Howard was sitting in the driver’s seat, according to the trooper.
“His (Howard’s) speech was slow and slurred,” Valentine said, adding Howard smelled strongly of alcohol.
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The trooper said Howard “performed poorly” on field sobriety tests.
Initially, Howard said he had not been consuming alcohol, Valentine said. But later, Howard said he last consumed an alcoholic beverage at 1 a.m., the trooper said.
Trooper Nathan Stanfield , investigator for the Ohio State Highway Patrol, testified that witness testimony as well as ODOT camera footage indicate Howard’s vehicle was speeding seconds before the crash occurred.
Stanfield said Howard told him he had consumed three alcoholic beverages.
“He (Howard) told me he nodded off and struck the motorcycle,” Stanfield said.
Sharp worked at Steelcraft in Blue Ash and often stayed with his girlfriend in Middletown, according to family members. He was heading to work at the time of the accident, his family said.
A warrant has been issued for Howard, who is free on bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned Feb. 21 by Butler County Judge Jennifer McElfresh.
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