Background: A section of Elkhorn Creek in Pike County, Kentucky (Google Maps). Inset: Dusty Ratliff (Pike County Detention Center).
A woman in Kentucky will spend the coming years behind bars after she crossed the center line of a rural road in her truck and smashed into another driver, killing him.
Dusty Ratliff, 48, has been found guilty of second-degree manslaughter, according to records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The crash caused the death of 44-year-old James Kelly, the Kentucky State Police announced nearly four years ago.
On July 16, 2022, at about 9:25 p.m., Ratliff was driving a 2017 silver Ram 2500 on Elkhorn Creek in Pike County, Kentucky. The remote road runs along the eastern part of Kentucky not far from the state”s border with Virginia.
At the same time, Kelly was driving a 2009 black Kia Spectra the opposite direction. Suddenly, Ratliff “crossed the center line” in her truck and rammed into Kelly’s sedan, police said.
Kentucky State Police troopers were called to the crash site. They reportedly found the Kia turned around roughly 40 feet from the place of impact and Ratliff’s truck more than 70 feet from the crash.
The Pike County Coroner’s Office pronounced Kelly dead at the scene. Troopers made no mention of Ratliff needing medical attention.
During Ratliff’s trial, prosecutors argued that her speed caused the crash, regional CBS affiliate WYMT reported. An expert witness testified that she was going up to 92 mph on the winding road before the crash.
Ratliff, for her part, reportedly contended that she was working at a restaurant owned by her family before she decided to head home. She said she was not in a rush but that it was dark and she saw several deer in the road.
“I went to go around them, and I don’t remember nothing after that,” she stated, although she added that she saw lights coming toward her before the crash. “I was in a lot of pain.”
The defendant was initially charged with murder, according to the local outlet. Her attorneys argued the crash was an “accident” and a “tragedy” — but not a killing.
“She was braking and braking hard. She slowed down and did the best that she could do,” defense lawyer Garland Arnett said. “It’s a tragedy. But we don’t believe it’s a crime. This is an accident. It is not murder.”
Prosecutors argued that — at the speed she was driving — Ratliff must have known there was danger afoot. They have recommended a 10-year sentence for Ratliff; her sentencing date has yet to be announced.
