Michigan woman whose twins died in car crash is indicted

She is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide

11/21/2013
BY JENNIFER FEEHAN
BLADE STAFF WRITER

BOWLING GREEN – An Ida, Mich. woman whose 6-week-old twins died in a crash has been indicted by a Wood County grand jury on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide.

The charges filed today against Lori Massingill, 28,on two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide stem from a Nov. 12 crash that killed her infant daughter, Presley, and Presley's twin brother, Parker. She also was indicted on one count of endangering children for “her behavior with the children prior to the accident,” said Gwen Howe-Gebers, chief assistant Wood County prosecutor.

Ms. Massingill was northbound on Fostoria Road just south of State Rt. 163 in Wood County’s Troy Township about 11 a.m. when she drove over a set of railroad tracks and her car went airborne and out of control. State troopers said the car went off the right side of the road, traveled back onto the road and to the left side before striking a ditch and rolling twice.

Young Presley was pronounced dead at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, while young Parker died two days later at University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor.

Also Thursday, Cody Rickard, 26, was indicted for murder and two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide for the Nov. 12 death of Paul Castle, 34, of Paintsville, Ky.

Mr. Castle was critically injured Oct. 28 when Mr. Rickard allegedly drove a car through two sets of barricades blocking Bradner Road just south of Bradner. Mr. Castle and two other CSX workers – Luis Knott III, 58, of Banner, Ky., and Jim Conley, 58, of Findlay – were struck by the car.

Mr. Castle died at St. Vincent’s two weeks after the crash.

Contact Jennifer Feehan at 419-213-2134 or jfeehan@theblade.com.