A 21-year-old woman is facing a vehicular homicide charge after investigators determined she was driving drunk at 100 mph when she crashed on I-75 southbound in April, killing her front-seat passenger near the I-275 interchange in Erlanger.

Fancie Orr was arrested July 30 and booked into the Kenton County Jail on a $500,000 bond, according to court documents reported by WCPO. She was expected to be arraigned July 31. No outcome from that hearing has been publicly confirmed.

The charge stems from the death of Javier Lemus, 25, of Cincinnati, who was ejected from Orr's Ford Escape when it struck a guardrail on I-75 southbound near mile marker 184 around 3 a.m. on April 20.

What investigators found

The Kenton County complaint alleges Orr was traveling over 100 mph in the seconds before impact and 80 mph when the vehicle hit the guardrail. That data came from the SUV's infotainment center, Fox 19 reported.

The collision ripped off the passenger-side door. Lemus, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown into the right lane of I-75 southbound, where a semi-truck struck him. Officers who responded found him with injuries they described as "catastrophic" and "not compatible with human life." He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Kenton County Commonwealth Attorney Rob Sanders said July 30: "When it hit the guardrail, Mr. Lemus was ejected from the vehicle and he landed in the right lane of I-75 southbound. His body was among all kinds of debris and construction barrels that were thrown across the roadway in the crash."

Orr's account contradicted by evidence

According to the complaint, Orr told witnesses at the scene that Lemus had opened the passenger door and jumped from the vehicle. Physical evidence, crash reconstruction, and dash camera footage from the semi-truck contradicted that account.

The semi's dashcam captured the aftermath of the guardrail impact, showing debris scattered across the roadway. The semi driver did not see Lemus in time to stop but remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators.

A blood test showed Orr had a blood alcohol level of .170, more than twice Kentucky's legal limit of .08, according to WLWT's reporting on the court documents. A drug recognition exam also indicated marijuana impairment.

Three-month investigation

When the crash occurred in April, Erlanger police treated it as a pedestrian-versus-semi incident. Erlanger Assistant Police Chief Michael Clark told reporters at the scene on April 20 that there were "so many unanswered questions" investigators were working through.

The investigation that led to Orr's arrest took more than three months and involved crash reconstruction, vehicle data extraction, blood testing, and review of the semi's dashcam footage.

Orr is charged under Kentucky's vehicular homicide statute (KRS 507.060), known as Lily's Law, which took effect in March 2023 and classifies the offense as a Class B felony.

The crash site near mile marker 184 sits just south of the I-275 interchange on a stretch of I-75 that Boone County commuters travel daily between Florence and Greater Cincinnati. Residents with information about the case can contact the Erlanger Police Department at 859-727-7599.