By Brett Milam
Editor

Tanya Anderson was sentenced to four years in prison for a methamphetamine-fueled car crash that killed a Kentucky woman nearly two years after the fact.

Anderson, 34, lives in Loveland with her mother, and is a 2003 Milford High School graduate. She was driving a 2008 Ford Focus on Interstate 275 on Nov. 17, 2017, while high on meth. That’s when Ohio State Highway Patrol said she killed Billie Finnell, aged 67, of Elsmere, Kentucky.

Finnell was going south on I-275 when her vehicle broke down, so she came to a stop in the left lane. While attending to her vehicle outside of it at the front, Anderson hit the Ford Ranger from behind. 

Police said Finnell died at the scene. Anderson had non-life threatening injuries and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Anderson was charged with second degree felony count of aggravated vehicular homicide, and two misdemeanor counts of operation while under the influence of alcohol or drugs and arrested on $100,000 surety bond, which she posted the next day.

On July 22, she pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, and the second count of misdemeanor operation while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The State dropped the additional misdemeanor count.

The felony count carried with it a mandatory prison sentence of two years. Anderson faced a maximum sentence of eight years. 

Along with the four year sentence, Anderson also will serve no less than 180 days on the charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Sentencing on that charge also carries with it a fine of $375.

Anderson also must pay the funeral costs for the Finnell family of $4,335.

When Anderson is released from prison, she must be on probation for a mandatory three years. Additionally, her license is suspended for 15 years.

According to court documents, a family member of Finnell’s was at the court proceedings, and believed that a “three or four year sentence was appropriate in this case.”

Anderson’s attorney, Jeffrey Adams, asked for three years. He noted that she’s been drug and alcohol tested by probation since the case began in 2017 and has been clean the entire time. 

She’s also a single-mother of a 4-year-old girl and a 1-year-old boy. She became pregnant with the boy just prior to being indicted. 

According to Adams, Anderson was introduced to meth by her boyfriend at the time. 

“Ms. Anderson was devastated when she was informed that Ms. Finnell was killed in this collision and she has remained heartbroken for Ms. Finnell and her family to this day,” Adams said.

Finnell’s family could not be reached for comment about the case.