HOUSTON COUNTY, Tenn. – WKRN News 2 reports that the man charged in a fatal crash that claimed the lives of a young couple and their newborn baby appeared in court in Houston County Friday for a preliminary hearing.
During the hearing the judge heard from several witnesses including an emergency responder and state troopers who worked the crash, among others.
An expert toxicologist with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation testified that Benjamin Franklin’s urine sample tested positive for drugs, including methamphetamine, oxycodine and amphetamines.
Franklin’s lawyer argued that the levels of drugs weren’t shown in the report.
The judge decided there is enough evidence to bind the case over to a grand jury and denied Franklin’s attorney’s request to lower his $1 million bond.
Franklin, 37, faces three counts of vehicular homicide in the deaths of William Griggs, 20, Kassidy Leonard, 19, and their 11-day old baby girl, Kimberlynn.
Franklin remains behind bars and is due back in court Feb. 22.
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