Kentucky jury finds man guilty of running over Kansas family

WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – A Kentucky jury found Michael Hurley guilty of crashing his car into the Jones family of Nickerson as they walked on a Louisville sidewalk. The crash occurred on July 5, 2022.

Closing arguments took place Monday morning, and the jury deliberated briefly before returning the verdict shortly after noon.

Hurley was found guilty of murder, three counts of assault and driving under the influence.

Trey Jones was killed. His wife Amy and daughter Ava were seriously injured. Her son, Creek, was not seriously injured.

Amy and Trey's oldest son, William “Hunter” Jones, was not in Kentucky at the time of the accident. When he learned about the crash from his grandmother, he packed a bag and flew to Kentucky.

On Monday, Amy gave an emotional statement. She said she hasn't even had time to grieve the loss of her husband, Trey, because of the serious injuries she and her daughter suffered in the accident.

Amy is an assistant principal at Nickerson Schools. She had to take a semester off and said the injuries still affected her ability to move from place to place and do her job. She is also no longer able to do the things she enjoys most, such as outdoor hobbies and sports activities.

Ava suffered a traumatic brain injury in the accident. She had committed to play basketball at the University of Iowa before the crash. She is now retired for medical reasons.

“I grieve the loss of the old Ava,” Amy said during her testimony Monday. “It was a fight. I mean, not to mention Trey is gone; I feel like my daughter is gone too.”

Ava testified that because of her physical and mental injuries, she does not believe she will ever be able to have a regular job.

Amy said Ava's life expectancy is shorter because of the brain injury. Her personality also changed as she became more irritable due to the brain injury. Her vocabulary was also affected. It has decreased and she keeps repeating the same things. Amy said that as time goes on, Ava gets worse and loses more and more of her ability to function.

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During last week's trial, Amy and Ava testified about how the accident and their injuries changed their lives.

“Like when your leg falls asleep or your arm falls asleep and he wakes up, and that tingling sensation you feel when you try to wake him up, that's exactly what I feel all the time. “It’s always tingling, like it’s between sleep and normal,” Amy Jones testified.

Last week, prosecutors said Hurley's blood tests showed fatal amounts of fentanyl and that he dozed off after the accident. Hurley's legal team argued that he was tired after working the early shift.

Hurley's mother testified he had teeth removed and she limited the amount of medication he had access to by storing it in a safe.

“I do this because I don’t want anyone walking through a medicine cabinet in my house and seeing this. I don't leave it out, and a parent who leaves it out is, in my opinion, neglectful,” Pamela Hurley testified.

The defense can bring witnesses before the jury on Tuesday.

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