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Man pleads guilty in fatal crash involving drugs, then fails drug test after court appearance

Posted at 11:05 AM, Feb 08, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-08 11:05:21-05

BUTLER COUNTY, Ohio -- A Hamilton man who pleaded guilty to killing a woman in a Ross Twp. crash will await his sentencing in jail because he failed a drug test after his court appearance on Wednesday, The Journal-News reported.

Larry Gray II, 24, of Oxford Street, admitted guilt Wednesday morning in Butler County Common Pleas Court. Gray pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and faces eight years in prison.

Laura Cheek, 38, of Reily Twp., was killed on Aug. 17 when her black Ford Mustang was hit head-on by Gray’s yellow Mustang on Ross-Millville Road.

At the time of the crash, Gray was estimated to be traveling 79 mph and was impaired by fentanyl, according the Butler County Sheriff”s Office investigation, Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Dan Phillips said.

Judge Greg Howard set sentencing for March 21. Gray, who also faces a lifetime license suspension, was not taken into custody at the time of the hearing, but the judge suspended is driving privileges on the spot, and he was required to be drug tested by the probation department.

Gray failed the drug test and was arrested. He is being held with no bond in the Butler County Jail until his sentencing. 

There were reports at the crash scene in August that Gray was driving erratically before the crash that happened at about 9:30 a.m. Police said he also sideswiped another vehicle before colliding with Cheek. The occupants of that car were not injured.

The Journal-News is a media partner of WCPO.