Patrol looking into fatal crash

Ohio State Highway Patrol officers have obtained a search warrant to seize the "œblack box" recording device from a car that was involved in a fatal crash on Ohio Rt. 13 in Trimble early Sunday morning.

It is not clear from the documentation on the warrant, which was filed in Athens County Common Pleas Court Tuesday, whether the device has actually been seized, and The Athens NEWS was unable on Wednesday to reach the officer who applied for the warrant.

According to the warrant affidavit, filed by Trooper A.M. Hayes, the OSHP sought to obtain the control module from a 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier, owned by 33-year-old Stephanie Gaddis. The device would provide information on the movements of the vehicle at the time of the crash.

Gaddis died in a crash early Sunday morning, in which the driver was allegedly Jason W. Riley, 37, of Glouster.

Riley and another passenger in the vehicle, Howard H. Holcombe, 38, of Glouster, were injured in the accident and transported to a hospital in Columbus.

As of Sunday afternoon, the Ohio State University Medical Center reported that Holcombe was in fair condition, and Riley was in serious condition.

The search-warrant affidavit states that at around 1:26 a.m., Gaddis' car was going north on Ohio Rt. 13 and went off the right side of the road after failing to handle a curve, striking a signpost and utility pole.

Investigators believe both that alcohol was involved, the affidavit states, and that the car was going "an unusually high rate of speed," well above the limit of 55 mph at that point.

The OSHP wants the car's "black box" as part of its investigation of possible criminal charges against Riley, the document said.