A trial against an Arizona man accused of driving drunk and colliding with a Michigan family started in Allen County Common Pleas Court.
John Robinson's trial started with opening statements from the prosecution. The defense deferred from opening statements. Robinson is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and six other charges. He's suspected of entering I-75 in Beaverdam and driving the wrong way and hitting another vehicle. The crash killed 15-year-old Christopher Watson. Three of Watson's family members inside the car testified saying four of them including children were seriously hurt. Robinson was also identified drinking at a bar in Lima and Beaverdam.
"And he had several alcoholic beverages," said prosecutor Kenneth Sturgill during opening statements. "And when he left Thirsty's in Beaverdam, he made the decision that even though he had become impaired due to the amount of alcohol he consumed that he was going to drive his 1-ton F350 back to Lima."
A woman also testified who identified Robinson and saw him come down the exit ramp onto 75. She turned back after the crash to check on the people involved.
"When I get out of the car I see a boy laying on the ground, a girl sitting beside him," Chelsea Crawford said, a witness to the case. "And I proceeded to ask her if he was OK, if he was breathing. And she didn't answer."
Your Hometown Stations will have more coverage on this trial when it picks back up tomorrow(11/13/19).
