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50 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, April 26, 2005 Today's News | Shop Our Valley | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery | Contact Us SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend April 26, 2005 Ashland teens to testify about high-speed crash By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune An Ashland teen injured in a high-speed traffic crash in February that killed his intoxicated friend and another man will testify Wednesday before a grand jury. Ian Graham-Collier, 17, is among several high school students who have been subpoenaed to testify about events the evening of Feb. 11. The 9:32 p.m. wreck at the intersection of Jackson Street and Riverside Avenue killed 17-year-old Kevan Thatcher-Stephens, who was driving when his vehicle ran a red light. His Jeep Cherokee slammed into a Chevrolet Blazer driven by 26-year-old Shady Cove resident Charles Bench, who also died. Graham-Collier was hospitalized but released three days after the crash. Bench’s passenger, Mark Louis Robustelli, 27, of Medford, was critically injured but has since been released from Providence Medford Medical Center. Graham-Collier’s father, Andrew Graham-Collier, of Ashland, confirmed Monday that his son had been called as a witness in the second grand jury hearing to be held in the case. Last week, Talent police officer Jeff Price testified. Price and Capt. Joe Puckett, of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department trailed the Jeep as it sped down Riverside minutes before the collision at speeds estimated at 90 to 100 mph. Price remains on duty while Puckett has been on paid administrative leave since the crash. Advertisement As Puckett followed Thatcher-Stephens, his police car carried a passenger, 31-year-old Talent reserve police officer Michelle Gideon, who had not filed an application for a "ride-along," as typically required by the Sheriff’s Department. Puckett’s involvement prompted Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston to forward the case to Josephine County to avoid a potential conflict of interest. Several other Ashland High School students also have been subpoenaed in the case, said Medford police Lt. Tim George. Investigators delivered summons last week at Ashland High School, said Principal Juli Di Chiro. Previously, police officials said teens had refused to talk to detectives about Thatcher-Stephens’ whereabouts the evening of the crash, which stalled the investigation for about two months. "We’re trying to finish this, and exhaust all leads and come to a conclusion about what really happened out there," George said. Thatcher-Stephens was intoxicated at the time of the crash, according to lab results. His blood-alcohol content was .16 percent — twice Oregon’s legal limit for those of drinking age — following the collision. Police have sought information about where Thatcher-Stephens consumed alcohol and who supplied it. Criminal charges of furnishing liquor to a minor and hindering prosecution could arise out of the grand jury hearings, police officials said. More sessions may be held based on any information developed Wednesday, George said. "The investigation is all-encompassing," he said. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Free Music Downloads Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Online Poker Slippers Student Loans Tatoo tcg student loan consolidation teleconferencing Website Design & Marketing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoos Advertisement s