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Abby Michaels Trial: Psychiatrist says seizures, childhood trauma were factors night of deadly crash

By WHIO Staff
By WHIO Staff

DAYTON — The trial continued Wednesday for a woman accused of deliberately driving the wrong way on I-75 killing a Mason family.

The prosecution has rested in the case and Wednesday the one and only defense witness took the stand.

The medical doctor was questioned by Abby Michaels’ lawyers about her alleged history of seizures and how it played into the deadly crash on St. Patrick’s Day in 2019.

“It’s my opinion that she demonstrated a constellation of symptoms that precluded her from having any intentional or willful control of her vehicle,” Dr. Christina Waite said.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Abby Michaels Trial: Prosecutors rest case on Day 2 of wrong-way crash trial

Waite testified that she believed Michaels did not have control of herself or her Kia the night of the crash on I-75.

Michaels drove the wrong way after cutting through an emergency turnaround, hitting a black Toyota and killing three members of a Mason family including a 10-year.

Waite, a doctor of psychiatry at Miami Valley Hospital testified that her post-crash treatment of Michaels confirmed that the 25-year-old suffers from psychogenic seizures and has since 2013.

Michaels broke down during her testimony, crying as the doctor testified that she had deep-seated sexual trauma stemming back to her childhood.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Abby Michaels Trial: Defense blames medical condition for wrong-way crash that killed 3

But the prosecution had a different take on Waite’s conclusions.

While they didn’t take issue with the diagnosis that Michaels may have psychogenic seizures, they did believe that she was in control of her car the night of the deadly crash and that her actions were deliberate.

Both the prosecution and the defense have called the witnesses they intend to but News Center 7 has learned that the prosecution plans to call a rebuttal witness to Waite.

That would be the last step before closing arguments and a verdict.



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