After a couple died from being trapped in their exploding minivan during an accident, a 24-year-old Ohio man was found to be incompetent to stand trial in the case on March 11. The driver was reportedly speeding at more than 125 mph at the time of the deadly wreck. He will be held in a psychiatric facility for 12 months to see if doctors later rule that he is competent to face charges in the case, according to his lawyer. The man pleaded that he was not guilty by reason of insanity for charges of vehicular homicide when he hit the minivan in November 2013. Authorities were trying to chase him before the accident but couldn’t catch up to him.

The man suffers from other mental health problems and has undergone treatment in the past. If he is not found competent within a year, he will probably be held at the psychiatric facility indefinitely.

After the accident, the man allegedly said that he was drinking and using drugs at the time. However, a later chemical test did not show any substances in his system. Despite the fact that he also suffered injuries, they were not life-threatening. He was held for a psychiatric evaluation following the accident.

When someone loses their life in an accident, they might decide to pursue civil litigation against the negligent parties. A personal injury lawyer might be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit on the behalf of a client who has suffered the loss of a loved one in an accident.

Source: Fox News, Ohio man declared incompetent to stand trial in 125-mph highway crash that killed couple,” March 13, 2014

Source: ABC, “Man Incompetent for Trial in Fatal Ohio Crash”, March 13, 2014