Deadly Crash: Cleveland Man Sentenced For Vehicular Homicide

CLEVELAND — A 41-year-old Cleveland man has been sentenced to prison for crashing into a stopped car, causing the death of one woman and injuring three other people on Thanksgiving Eve 2019.

Lennard Duncan, 41, was sentenced to 17 to 25 years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and driving while under the influence. This was the second time Duncan has been sentenced aggravated vehicular homicide.

“This individual is clearly a danger to the public,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley. “He senselessly chose to drive under the influence again, taking the life of another innocent person. His sentence is well deserved.”

On Nov. 27, 2019, three cars were stopped at a red light at the intersection of E. 55th Street and Broadway avenue. Duncan crashed into the cars, court documents said.

One woman's car hit another person's car, drove off the road and hit a metal crosswalk sign. Cleveland fire department crews had to pull the woman from the car and take her to a hospital. She was later pronounced dead, court documents said.

The three other people were taken to the hospital and treated for their injuries. Duncan was taken to a hospital, treated and then arrested, prosecutors said.

Cleveland police investigated the accident and found Duncan was under the influence of PCP and THC at the time of the crash, court documents said. Investigators found he had been driving 85 mph one second before impact, prosecutors said. The posted speed limit was 25 mph.

In 2010, Duncan's license was indefinitely suspended after he was involved in another aggravated vehicular homicide case. In that incident, Duncan crashed into a car while under the influence of alcohol, PCP and THC, prosecutors said. That accident led to the death of a 19-year-old man and hurt two other people, court documents noted.

Duncan was sentenced to eight years in prison and was released in April 2018. A little more than a year later, he was again found guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide.