Motorcyclist faces counts in crash that hurt rider

5/9/2009

BOWLING GREEN A Bowling Green man has been re-indicted on charges he was under the influence when his motorcycle crashed in 2007, injuring his passenger.

David Johnson, 41, faces two counts of aggravated vehicular assault and one count of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The latter is a felony, the indictment states, because Mr. Johnson was convicted of DUI three times in the last six years.

The charges stem from a crash May 24, 2007, when Mr. Johnson s motorcycle went off the road, and crashed into a fence on South Dixie Highway, just south of State Rt. 18 near North Baltimore. His passenger, Carolyn Cook, was injured.

While Mr. Johnson was indicted on similar charges in 2007, the case was dismissed after his attorney told the court he could prove Ms. Cook was driving at the time of the crash. William Connelly, Jr., an assistant Wood County prosecutor, said Friday he has since spoken with Ms. Cook and has reason to believe Mr. Johnson was driving.