As the trial date for a former UNC student accused of driving the wrong way in a fatal crash on I-85 last summer is approaching, a local judge has once again denied defense motions to suppress evidence in the case.
Superior Court Judge Allen Baddour ruled on Thursday that the state can use evidence from Chandler Kania’s cell phone and his blood-alcohol content from the night of the crash.
Kania is accused of driving the wrong way on I-85 in Orange County last July for at least six miles before crashing head-on into another vehicle, killing three of the four passengers in the vehicle – 49-year-old Felicia Harris, 46-year-old Darlene McGee and six-year-old Jahnice Baird.
Records show the crash occurred after Kania and a group of friends had spent several hours drinking. Kania’s blood-alcohol content was registered as a .17 following the crash, according to law enforcement, which is twice the legal limit to drive in North Carolina. Kania was also underage at the time of the crash.
After Baddour’s ruling, that blood-alcohol content and the evidence from Kania’s cell phone will now be allowed in the trial. Kania’s attorneys had also argued that the warrant for Kania’s cell phone was illegally served, but Baddour previously ruled against that motion as well.
Kania is facing three counts of second-degree murder, among other charges.
Kania trial is set to begin on Monday.
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