Appellate Court Upholds Conviction and Sentencing of Kenton Woman Involved in Fatal 2025 Crash

The Ohio Third District Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the conviction and sentencing of a Kenton woman.

29-year-old Halie Breeden was sentenced to 14 to 18 years in prison this past February after pleading guilty in Hardin County Common Pleas Court to aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and possession of drugs.

Charges of operating a vehicle under the influence, possession of fentanyl-related compound and aggravated poseession of drugs were dismissed as part of the negotiated plea agreement.

In its ruling, the appellate court determined that Breeden’s guilty plea was entered knowingly, intelligently, and voluntarily, and the judgment of the trial court was affirmed.

The charges stem from an accident that occurred in April of 2025 in the 12,000 block of State Route 309 that claimed the life of Dennis Covault and critically injured his wife Louise.

The investigation into the crash determined that Breeden was operating her vehicle under the influence of narcotics at the time of the crash.