Attorney: Woman charged in deadly I-270 Columbus crash had nearly double legal BAC limit

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — A woman charged in connection with a deadly crash on Interstate 270 in west Columbus had a blood alcohol content of nearly two times the legal limit, attorneys said in court Wednesday. Franklin County prosecuting attorneys called upon a Columbus police detective to testify during a bond hearing for Jaricah Wright, who is facing a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide. The charge stems from a crash on April 13 when Wright allegedly struck two vehicles parked on I-270 South near the Georgesville Road exit. During Wednesday’s hearing, a CPD officer reported that a witness at the crash scene told officers Wright allegedly said, “My husband is illegal. I can’t get in trouble. I’m going to leave.” The officer also said the witness reported that Wright was slurring her speech. The prosecution also noted that a blood alcohol sample for Wright was returned with a .136 reading, or 1.7 times the legal limit of a .08 BAC. Police said that Wright was initially driving in the wrong direction on the highway before self-correcting, then lost control and rear-ended the back of a Toyota Corolla. The Toyota was propelled into the minivan and also struck and killed 45-year-old Jodi Tackett, who was pronounced dead at the scene. A second victim was hospitalized in critical condition. Wright, 30, allegedly drove away, but was detained nearby on Georgesville Square Drive. Attorneys argued Wednesday that Wright has been subject to several driving convictions, including seven for driving with a suspended license, a hit-skip conviction in Sept. 2016, two OVI citations (in 2019 and 2024) and is currently facing charges for an OVI incident in Sept. 2025. Wright was also charged out of municipal court with possession of marijuana (2019), disorderly conduct and obstruction of official business (2021), domestic violence and assault (2022). Defense counsel rebutted the prosecution’s stance by saying there was no field sobriety test conducted in this case, that investigators were not aware of the September case while investigating this month’s crash and that the 2016 OVI is listed with the suspect’s name as “Jane Doe.” Attorneys argued that the prosecution, which was seeking to have Wright remanded to custody pending trial, did not meet their burden of proof for no bail at Wednesday’s hearing and that Wright has limited resources for a high bond amount. "There is simply nothing that would prevent her from getting behind the wheel as she did previously," state prosecutor Jeff Zezech said, who added that Wright is at risk of causing serious harm were she to be released on bond. A Franklin County Court of Common Pleas judge issued Wright a $500,000 bond for her Sept. 2025 OVI case, adding an additional $5,000 recognizance bond in her current case, that would result in house arrest if posted. Wright’s charges have been updated to the following: Two counts vehicular homicide, two counts of vehicular assault, two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and one count of not stopping after an incident on a public roadway.