Crash suspect remains at UK

Local News

July 13, 2010

Toxicology results still pending

by Heather Pyles-Tomlinson Commonwealth Journal The Commonwealth Journal Tue Jul 13, 2010, 06:34 AM EDT

Somerset — State police are awaiting toxicology results on a Somerset man involved in a fatal Lincoln county car crash that left two people dead on Friday.

Brett Whittaker, 27, of Somerset, remains in the UK Medical Center in fair condition, and charges against him are pending in the deadly collision.

The incident happened Friday, shortly after 10 p.m., on U.S. 27 near the Lin-coln/Garrad line when Whit-taker’s southbound truck crossed the center line and struck a northbound Toyota Corolla driven by Lavanda G. Rowland, 48. Her husband, John K. Rowland, 48 was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the collision.

The couple, who lived in Berea and were reportedly in the area to help a family member open a new church, were pronounced dead at the scene by Lincoln County Coroner Farris Marcum.

Whittaker was airlifted to University of Kentucky Hospital with a broken leg and facial lacerations, according to information provided by the Kentucky State Police Post No. 7 on Saturday. U.S. 27 remained shut down for several hours Friday evening and into Saturday morning while investigators worked to reconstruct the scene of the crash.

Lincoln Coroner Farris Marcum said Saturday at least one alcohol container was found in Whittaker’s vehicle after the crash, but he could not say whether that container was open or not.

According to information provided by the Advocate-Messenger newspaper, in Danville, state police spokesman Chris Lanham said blood samples were sent the state police laboratory in Frankfort following the crash, but it will take another week or two before police get the results.

Lanham said charges are pending the outcome of the toxicology report, according to the Advocate-Messenger.

Multiple e-mails sent to Lanham by the Commonwealth Journal asking that he confirm those statements were not returned by press time Monday. A dispatcher at the KSP Post No. 7, located in Richmond, said early Monday afternoon Lanham had left the office and was not available for comment.

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