(LEX 18) — Police charged a Montgomery County woman in a deadly hit-and-run in Powell County earlier this week, and we've learned this is not her first DUI.
25-year-old Alyson Martin was expected to appear in Franklin County Court on Thursday for a different DUI charge from 2024.
On Wednesday, LEX 18 News reported on a hit-and-run in Clay City that killed 42-year-old Ross Hicks. Martin was arrested and charged with the following:
- Leaving the scene of an accident/failure to render aid
- Tampering with physical evidence
- Vehicular homicide when under the influence of alcohol
- Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol
"It's just a part of me is gone. Somebody I knew that I could call if I was in trouble or if anything happened, he's not there for me anymore," said Cierra Robertson who is Ross Hicks niece. "I always remembered him as Uncle Bossy. I never called him Ross, it was always uncle bossy. He was my absolute favorite person growing up. I don't remember a time when it wasn't fun with him."
LEX 18 News reviewed Martin's criminal record and learned Tuesday night's deadly hit-and-run crash wasn't the first time she was arrested and charged with a DUI.
Last year in February, a traffic stop was conducted in Franklin County involving Martin. According to a citation, a state trooper detected a strong odor of alcohol coming from the vehicle. It reads, Martin claimed she only had one beer, but changed her statement, saying she actually had two to three beers.
The citation goes on to say that a field sobriety test was done along with a Preliminary Breath Test (PBT), which read 0.129, and a blood alcohol test read 0.154. That's nearly the double legal limit.
The 2024 document states that Martin was arrested and charged with the following:
- Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol
- Reckless driving
- Possession of an open alcohol beverage container in a motor vehicle
"I just hope this girl who has taken so much from us. I hope that she realizes what she's taken and that this is rock bottom for her to turn her life around as well," admits Robertson.
Robertson says Hicks leaves behind a whole community that loved him deeply, including his three elementary school-aged boys. "One thing you could not say was that he wasn't a good father. He was devoted to those kids. Those boys- those boys saved him. He had went down a dark path and those boys pulled him out of that. He was dedicated to those kids. That was his whole life."
Hicks was also a recovering drug addict who had been sober for nearly five years. Hicks was also baptized last year after finding God. Robertson says her uncle was teaching his kids about God while helping other addicts through recovery. "I was just in total. Like it didn't seem real to me that- I was like 'what do you mean, Ross is gone?' and she told me what happened and I just had to sit there for a minute. I didn't even believe what had happened," said Robertson.
Robertson says Ross had no life insurance, and the family has limited expenses to pay for a funeral. That's why a GoFundMe was created to help the family during this time.
