Recorded jail call that led to arrest in woman’s I-75 death released

The 18-year-old girl was driving on the interstate when her vehicle was hit by a tire that came off another vehicle.
Published: Jun. 26, 2024 at 5:41 PM EDT
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BOONE COUNTY, Ky. (WXIX) - The recorded jail call that a sheriff’s office says helped lead to an arrest in a woman’s 2023 death has been released.

Ricky Raider, 37, is facing charges in connection with the July 16, 2023, death of 18-year-old Lauren Collins, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

Collins, of Independence, was driving southbound on Interstate 75 around 12:15 a.m. when her vehicle was hit by a tire that came off another vehicle, the sheriff’s office explained.

The tire came from Raider’s 1993 Ford F-250 that was going northbound, the sheriff’s office said.

After it came off his truck, the sheriff’s office says the tire came to a rest near the concrete barrier that divides northbound and southbound I-75. Raider fled the scene, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

“What he did was he stole lug nuts from other wheels to secure that tire just to get it up the road and off of the interstate,” Major Philip Ridgell with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office said.

Six days later on July 22, 2023, Raider came forth to the Independence Police Department. He admitted that on July 16 “he lost a tire on the interstate over the past weekend but didn’t believe his tire had hit anyone,” the sheriff’s office explained.

Several months later, Sergeant Jeff Nagy obtained a key piece of evidence in the case.

The sheriff’s office says on the night Collins died, Raider called a female inmate at Bullitt County Detention Center.

That call was recorded.

During the phone call, Raider again admitted the tire fell off of his Ford truck, the sheriff’s office said.

This time, however, the 37-year-old said he saw the tire hit Collins’ vehicle and knew the collision was likely deadly or caused an injury, the sheriff’s office explained.

Nearly a year later, Raider is now facing charges of leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid with death or serious physical injury and persistent felony offender, according to the Boone County Sheriff’s Office.

Raider appeared in court Wednesday and requested a public defender to represent him. He is due back in court on July 24.

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