Lauren Collins : “Arrest Made in I-75 Tire Death”

An arrest has finally been made nearly a year after a tragic incident that claimed the life of an 18-year-old woman on I-75 in Boone County. The incident occurred on July 16, 2023, when Boone County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a single-vehicle crash on southbound I-75 around 12:15 a.m.

The preliminary investigation revealed that the victim, identified as 18-year-old Lauren Collins from Independence, was traveling south on I-75 when a loose tire struck her windshield. The tire had broken away from another vehicle traveling north on I-75, causing it to veer out of control and collide with Collins’ car. The impact was severe, and Collins was extricated from her vehicle by the Walton Fire Department before being rushed to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries.

After months of investigation, on June 4, the Boone County sheriff confirmed that 37-year-old Ricky Raider from Cincinnati had been indicted in connection with the fatal crash. It was revealed that shortly after the incident, Raider contacted the Independence Police Department, claiming that he had lost a tire on the interstate but was unaware that it had hit anyone.

Sergeant Jeff Nagy of the Accident Reconstruction Unit later obtained a recorded phone call between Raider and a female inmate at the Bullitt County Detention Center. In the call, made on the day of the incident, Raider confessed that he had been driving north on I-75 when the tire dislodged and struck Collins’ vehicle. Despite knowing the severity of the crash, Raider admitted to fleeing the scene after reattaching the tire to his truck.

Currently, Raider is held at the Boone County Detention Center on a $40,000 cash bond. He faces charges of leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid resulting in death or serious physical injury, as well as being a persistent felony offender.