RICHMOND, Ind. — A truck driver whose semitrailer crashed into a car along an eastern Indiana highway construction zone last year, killing four young siblings, has filed notice that he intends to plead guilty in the case.
Corey Robert Withrow of Camden, Ohio, was scheduled for trial Nov. 1 in Wayne County, but a Feb. 24 mercy plea hearing is now scheduled instead. That means Withrow will most likely plead guilty to all charges and ask for mercy from the judge in his sentencing.
Withrow, 32, faces four charges of causing death when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, four charges of reckless homicide and a charge of causing catastrophic injury when operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated.
The crash July 9, 2020 killed four siblings ages 6 to 15 and severely injured their father, Aaron Bruce of Kansas City, Missouri, who was driving the car. Anesa Noel Acosta, 15, rode in the passenger front seat. Three boys died in the back seat: Quintin Michael McGowan, 13, Brekkin Riley Bruce, 8, and Trentin Beau Bruce, 6.
"In the 32 years of law enforcement in my professional career, I can't say that I've seen a traffic crash quite as horrific as this,” said Wayne County Sheriff Randy Retter at the time.
Investigators say Withrow was driving erratically before the crash and at high speed through the work zone. But traffic was moving freely in the work zone. Backed up or stopped traffic was ruled out as a contributing factor to the crash.
A preliminary toxicology test showed Withrow had multiple drugs in his system. Withrow has multiple drug convictions in his home county in Ohio the previous four years before the crash. The convictions included heroin possession.
