Westlake Woman Pleads Not Guilty in Fatal I-90 Crash

Jennifer Kearney, 27, of Westlake, is out on bond after pleading not guilty to a vehicular homicide charge for driving the wrong way down Interstate 90 July 1, resulting in a fatal crash with a motorcyclist at about 1:15 a.m.

According to Cleveland police public information officer Sammy Morris, Kearney was driving a Subaru Outback west on Interstate 90 when the vehicle hit a motorcyclist just east of the West 98th Street exit.

The motorcyclist, Kenneth Stith, 54, of Akron, was thrown from his bike. EMS crews pronounced him dead on the scene. Police said he was not wearing a helmet.

Kearney was taken to MetroHealth Medical Center, treated for her injuries and released.

Police said that Kearney appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, but she refused to be tested for either. Officers got a search warrant for a blood sample and have submitted it to the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Laboratory for testing.

Kearney was arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and taken to the Central Prison Unit.

The police department’s Accident Investigation Unit is handling the investigation.