LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A southern Indiana man has been found guilty of multiple criminal charges in a fatal crash more than two years ago.
Michael Hurley was arrested in July of 2022 after ramming his car into Ava Jones and her family as they stood at the intersection of Second and Market Street in downtown Louisville. The family was in Louisville for a youth basketball tournament Jones was set to play in.
Jones and her mother, Amy, spent days in the hospital recovering from serious injuries. Her younger brother, Creek, suffered minor injuries.
Her father, Trey Jones, died in the hospital days after the crash.
According to police, Hurley said he had only taken a hydrocodone but his blood test revealed he had four times the lethal dose of fentanyl in his system.
On Monday, a Louisville jury heard closing statements in Hurley's criminal trial.
Jurors returned to the courtroom in less than two hours with a verdict, finding Hurley guilty of murder, driving under the influence and multiple counts of assault.
Last week, the jury heard days of testimony from police officers, witnesses and medical experts.
Jones and her mother also testified about the difficult path to recovery and the life-long scars the crash has left them with.
"I was a Division I basketball player, [my hand-eye coordination] was good," Jones said last Thursday, getting emotional as she told the jury how the crash left her with a traumatic brain injury and permanent damage to her vision, vocal cords and memory.
The jury is expected to continue to hear more from witnesses before they deliberate and give the judge a recommended sentencing. One of those witnesses was Trey's oldest son, Hunter Jones, who had to be hte one to decide whether or not to take his father off life support.
The jury could finish deliberations on Tuesday. The court will then allow impact statements to be read.
Hurley's sentencing is expected to come at a later date.
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