Kentucky State Police Trooper Cited For Inattention In Two Crashes In Ten-Month Period
Kentucky State Police are reporting that Trooper Jonathan Biven has not met the threshold to be enrolled in a remedial driver training program, despite two collisions caused by inattention in a 10 month period, including one which killed the oncoming driver.
The initial report from a September wreck in Barren County found inattention and lack of control as reasons Trooper Biven crossed the center line and slammed into an oncoming car, killing 33-year-old Nurcan Ceylan.
Ten months earlier, in November of 2010, inattention and lack of control were also listed as reasons Trooper Biven rear ended a vehicle while reaching for a flashlight that slid under his seat in Glasgow, Kentucky.
Local news is reporting that KSP took no administrative action following that first collision. And Tuesday, Barren Metcalfe Commonwealth Attorney Karen Davis said Trooper Biven should not face charges for the fatal accident because inattention alone is not a crime.
While inattention while driving in and of itself may not be a crime, it is certainly negligent. If reports are true, the victims' families may have civil claim against Trooper Biven for his failure to use ordinary care to control his vehicle.
