Published: July 14, 2008 11:14 pm      

Louisa man indicted in fatal April wreck

WAYNE, W.Va. — A Louisa man accused of driving under the influence in an April traffic accident near Kenova that killed four has been indicted by a grand jury.

A true bill charging Bobby Frazier, 49, with four counts of driving under the influence causing death, third-offense DUI and third-offense driving on a DUI-suspended license was unsealed Friday, according to the office of Wayne County Prosecutor Jim Young.

Frazier, who is being held in the Western Regional Jail, was also arraigned Friday and pleaded not guilty to the charges, all of which are felonies. His trial was set for Oct. 1 in Wayne Circuit Court.

Frazier allegedly stole a 2009 Ford F-150 pickup from Boyd County Ford on April 17 and drove it to West Virginia, where he collided head-on with another pickup, killing all four occupants of that vehicle. The accident occurred on Big Sandy River Road, just north of the U.S. 52 intersection near Kenova.

Killed in the crash were John Michael Boone, 28; his children, Michael Tyler Boone, 2, and Jordan Michelle Boone, 3; and a family friend, Thomas “Reno” Hardwick, 29.

Frazier, who has an extensive record of alcohol-related offenses in Kentucky, has not yet been charged in connection with the theft of the truck, which had a sticker price of $52,525.

The truck was stolen between 2 and 5 p.m. The accident occurred about 7:30 p.m., authorities said.

According to Ashland police, Boyd County Ford did not realize the truck had been stolen until the morning after the wreck. An employee of the dealership saw the truck leaving, but assumed it was being driven by a customer taking it for a test drive.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.