A man is in custody in Grayson County after an ATV accident that reportedly led to his wife’s death. The Kentucky woman was identified after the accident, which happened in the early morning of Oct. 18. The 39-year-old man is facing a DUI charge as well as second-degree manslaughter. There is no court date set at this time, though the man remains in custody as police continue their investigation.
According to the information provided in the report, police were called to the scene around 1 a.m. The man and his wife, along with two friends, were headed up an embankment on private property when their all-terrain vehicle flipped over. The 37-year-old woman was partially ejected, leading to the ATV landing on top of her. She was pronounced dead by the coroner at the scene.
The man and his wife were found not to have been wearing seatbelts at the time of the accident. The other two passengers were not injured. The man now stands accused of DUI and second-degree manslaughter. At last report, he was being held at Grayson County Detention Center.
If the man is found guilty in the tragic death of his wife, he could face jail time in a Kentucky prison. However, the burden of proof rests with the prosecution to establish beyond a reasonable doubt that the man was drunk at the time of the crash. If they are unable to prove his alleged intoxication, the DUI charge cannot stand, which could also influence the severity of the manslaughter charge. The man will be represented in court by his own attorney who will build a defense against the prosecution’s charges.
