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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA Kokomo man who pleaded guilty to leaving the scene of a 2018 crash that fatally injured a 10-year-old girl has been sentenced to work release and in-home detention.
A Howard County judge sentenced Joshua Cochran, 23, on Tuesday to nine years in the Indiana Department of Correction, but under sentencing guidelines he will split that time between work release and in-home detention, the Kokomo Tribune reported.
Cochran pleaded guilty in June to one felony count of leaving the scene of an accident in the August 2018, accident that killed Renay Jenkins, who was walking near a Kokomo roadway. In exchange, prosecutors dropped three other charges Cochran had faced, including causing death when operating a motor vehicle with a controlled substance present in his blood.
Police said Cochrane was high on marijuana when his vehicle struck Jenkins. She later died from her injuries at an Indianapolis hospital.
After striking Jenkins, Cochran fled the scene, police said. Officers found Cochran, who was then 20, a short time later in his heavily damaged vehicle.
Police found marijuana in Cochran’s backpack and he admitted to smoking pot before the crash. A blood test later confirmed illegal drugs in his system, court records show.
As part of his sentence, Cochran is required to speak to school-aged students at least six times a year about his experiences and the dangers of drug use.
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