Vanover faces murder charge resulting from 2016 accident

Nov. 29--A Pulaski County man was arrested Tuesday morning on multiple charges -- including murder -- in connection to a fatal wreck that occurred last year.

Billie Earl Vanover Jr., 34, of Burnside, was indicted by the local grand jury earlier this month on charges of Murder, Operating a Motor Vehicle while Under the Influence of Alcohol or Drugs First Offense, Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Failure of Non-owner to Maintain Insurance.

The charges stem from a two-vehicle collision which occurred just after noon on July 7, 2016, on South U.S. 27 in Tateville. It was investigated by the Pulaski County Sheriff's Office with assistance from Tateville Fire Department, Somerset-Pulaski Rescue Squad, and the Pulaski County Coroner's Office.

Reports at the time indicated that Vanover was northbound on U.S. 27 driving a blue 1998 Ford Escort when he crossed into the southbound lane colliding head-on with a 1997 Toyota operated by Charles E. Graves, 40.

Graves, who had just moved to Burnside from Waynesburg, was extricated from his vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene.

Vanover was transported to Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital with serious injuries. The indictment now accuses him of causing the accident while driving under the influence.

Vanover, who is currently on probation for a prior Theft of Identity Without Consent conviction, has been lodged in the Pulaski County Detention Center under a $200,000 cash bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the pending charges in Pulaski Circuit Court on December 21.

___

(c)2017 the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.)

Visit the Commonwealth Journal (Somerset, Ky.) at somerset-kentucky.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.