Woman charged with vehicular manslaughter in deadly crash

WHITEWATER TWP., Ohio - A Cincinnati woman is facing a charge of vehicular manslaughter for causing an Oct. 26 automobile accident that caused the death of a 57-year-old North Bend woman.

Eliza Brown, 25, of Cincinnati, was arrested and charged Tuesday with the crime, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.

The three-vehicle crash in Whitewater Township occurred at 10:52 a.m. Oct. 26 on U.S. 50, just west of OH 128.

Brown was driving a 1996 Toyota Camry when she turned left onto U.S. 50 from a Kroger grocery store, according to police reports.

The Toyota turned left out of a driveway where such turns are prohibited. That's when it was struck by a 2006 Chevrolet Cobalt, which was traveling eastbound on U.S. 50. The Chevrolet was driven by Heather Lewis, 21, of Harrison.

The first collision caused the Toyota to travel left-of-center into the opposing lanes of U.S. 50, where it was then struck by a 1993 Ford truck that was traveling westbound. The Ford was being driven by Philip Zang, 63, of Cincinnati.

The Ford truck struck the Toyota directly on the passenger-side door, the Sheriff's Office said.

A passenger riding in the Toyota, Rebecca Haines, 57, of North Bend, was transported by helicopter to University Hospital, where she died later that morning as a result of her injuries.

Lewis and Zang weren't injured in the crash.

After the mishap, U.S. 50 was closed for more than two hours.