Chillicothe, OH – Abigail Preston has pleaded guilty in a plea deal this week in Ross County Court, months after a devastating crash that claimed the life of a Zanesville man and injured multiple others.
The 22-year-old Waverly woman was drinking at the Hardtail Cafe & Saloon on Eastern Avenue in Chillicothe on December 9th before getting behind the wheel of her Volvo and heading south on US 23.
Just before 10:15 p.m., Preston failed to maintain assured clear distance near Three Locks Road, rear-ending a Dodge carrying three adults and three juveniles. The impact sent both vehicles into the northbound lanes of US 23, where Preston’s Volvo collided with an oncoming Buick, killing the driver, 68-year-old Phillip Pryor of Zanesville.
A female passenger in the Buick suffered serious injuries and was transported to Grant Medical Center, while all six occupants of the Dodge were taken to Adena Regional Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.
Indictments & Charges
Preston was uninjured in the crash and was arrested on aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges. She was originally indicted on six counts by a December 13th grand jury, with four additional charges added on March 1st following urine test results that revealed both alcohol and methamphetamine in her system.
Her charges included:
- Four counts of second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide for the death of Phillip Pryor
- Five counts of third-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault for the injuries sustained by the Buick passenger and Dodge occupants
- One count of second-degree felony vehicular assault
The charges stemmed from multiple pieces of evidence, including:
- Breathalyzer test results
- Elevated alcohol level in the breathalyzer test
- Alcohol detected in the urine sample
- Methamphetamine detected in the urine sample
Had she been convicted on all counts, Preston faced a maximum sentence of 41 years in prison and $90,000 in fines.
Plea Deal & Sentencing
This week, Preston accepted a plea deal in Ross County Court.
She now awaits formal sentencing, where she could still face significant prison time for her role in the fatal crash.
