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Woman accused of causing deadly crash in Montgomery County indicted

MONTGOMERY COUNTY — A woman accused of causing a deadly crash in Montgomery County has been indicted.

The crash happened on Monday, May 20 at the intersection of Third Street and U.S. Route 35.

>> PHOTOS: Deputies investigating deadly crash near U.S. 35 in Montgomery County

Melissa Hutchins, 50, of Dayton, was indicted Monday on one count of involuntary manslaughter, one count of aggravated vehicular homicide, three counts of failure to comply and one count of possession of cocaine.

According to a previous News Center 7 report, Hutchins ran from Butler Township police in the construction zone on I-75 and took off again when deputies spotted her three hours later.

A detective used stop sticks and cruiser camera footage showed a tire smoking then detaching and flying backward. The chase lasted just over three minutes on SR-49 South.

>> RELATED: Man dies in crash caused by vehicle in pursuit; woman facing charges

Hutchins lost control, the SUV spinning through two complete 360s, but she took off again and ran through the red light at West Third Street.

She ran into 35-year-old Colby Ross’s convertible, forcing him into a pickup truck and causing his ejection.

Ross was killed in the crash, according to a previous News Center 7 report.

Hutchins has been charged many times for driving without a valid license, Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck said.

Streck said the vehicle Hutchins drove did not belong to her, and deputies will investigate to make sure the owner did not know she didn’t have a license.

“Another example of the tragic consequences that can occur when drivers flee from police. There is no excuse for fleeing from a simple traffic stop,” Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck said.

Hutchins is currently being held in the Montgomery County Jail on a $500,000 bond.

We will continue following this story.

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