Witnesses saw evidence of possible sexual assault on defendant in fatal crash trial

Dec 11, 2014

An expert witness testified Wednesday that the blood sample taken from a Columbia woman accused of being drunk when she caused a fatal crash was improperly handled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Dec 11, 2014

An expert witness testified Wednesday that the blood sample taken from a Columbia woman accused of being drunk when she caused a fatal crash was improperly handled by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The witness was one of several who testified for the defense about the role alcohol and a possible sexual assault played in the 2012 crash that killed 35-year-old Thomas Sullivan of Parkville, Missouri. Kelli Smith, 25, is on trial in Montgomery County for first-degree involuntary manslaughter in the fatal crash. Smith drove 8 miles in the wrong direction down Interstate 70 before the crash at the 170-mile marker near Montgomery City.

Travis Jones, a former law enforcement officer who writes manuals and trains police on how to conduct sobriety tests and how to properly handle and maintain evidence, testified about how Smith’s blood sample was handled.