A woman accused of killing two highway workers and injuring a third didn't stop until she was more than 25 miles away from the scene of the fatal accident, according to a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper.
The trooper's testimony came during the third day of trial for 49-year-old Ramona Morgan.
Morgan is charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of aggravated battery in connection with the Sept. 11, 2007, accident in a construction zone on U.S. Highway 59.
Trooper Todd Brooks told jurors he heard the description of the vehicle involved in the accident and began following a truck with heavy front-end damage and a smashed windshield just west of Overbrook.
Brooks testified that Morgan, whom he identified in court Thursday as the driver of the truck, did not pull over until stop sticks were used to flatten her two front tires south of Scranton in Osage County.
When troopers searched the vehicle for evidence, they found 30-year-old accident victim Tyrone Korte's cell phone stuck in the grill of the truck.
Korte and 24-year-old Rolland Griffith were both killed as they worked on a repaving project on U.S. Highway 59 near Pleasant Grove.
Earlier in the day, Morgan's daughter Sabrina testified that her mother was frightened that someone was chasing them across Missouri and Kansas the day leading up to and during the fatal hit-and-run accident.
Sabrina Morgan, 27, under subpoena from prosecutors, briefly testified about being a passenger in a truck that her mother drove.
But Eve Kemple, an assistant Douglas County district attorney, never asked Sabrina Morgan whether her mother struck two people while driving through the construction zone that morning on U.S. Highway 59 about five miles south of Lawrence.
With short answers to questions and long pauses, as her eyes darted around the courtroom, Sabrina Morgan recounted how she came with her mother to buy property in Missouri, but they were upset with the condition of the land.
She said her mother also had called 911 in Missouri because she believed someone was chasing them and trying to shoot at them. The Morgans stayed the night at a Gardner hotel on Sept. 10, and Ramona Morgan believed someone was looking at their pickup truck in the parking lot.
Sabrina Morgan said she had not slept much during those days because her mother wouldn't let her rest because she said she was being chased.
Sabrina Morgan was originally charged with aiding a felon in Osage County, but the charges were later dropped.
The trial in District Judge Paula Martin's courtroom is expected to last into next week.
Comments
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Dwight_Schrute (anonymous) says…
How is this breaking news? She said this way back when she was arrested, shortly after the incident occurred.
senegal66025 (anonymous) says…
worker hit her car with a stop sign. Pros witness said this caused defendant to speed up. Better think about this for a whilel
autie (anonymous) says…
partially right I guess. she was being chased by law enforcement.. Nothing like those elusive gnomes chasing you. So they tried to buy some land in Missouri and somebody was trying to shoot them..and then chasing them, both ways through the construction zone..sure seems to be a lot of blanks yet to be filled in for that story.
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autie (anonymous) says…
Maybe the fear caused them to not notice all those people with orange vest and stop signs and trucks and road graders and cones and all that stuff you see in a construction zone.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
autie~ No law enforcement was chasing her at the time she went through the work zone. Police didn't get involved until later.So maybe it was the voices in her head chasing her...?From the comments in this article, it sounds like she has some serious delusions going on. If it's true that no drugs or alcohol were involved, I wonder what the shrinks will say. Paranoid schizophrenia comes to mind... Whatever the case--she needs to be locked up for a loooooooong time.
RedwoodCoast (anonymous) says…
Good god, this story just gets weirder and weirder. The woman is obviously a nutcase.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
"gnomes?" Hey, if gnomes had been after Ramona they would've gotten her fer sure! This is the umteenth time I've heard this drivvel about "somebody" chasing, "somebodies" chasing her...trying to shoot at her. okay! just who were these people after Ramona Morgan, so important that they chased her back and forth through the work zone? were they: aliens; Surhan Surhan; the Manson family; the black helicopter crowd that conveniently forgot their helicopters; the same people who secretly blew up WTC#7 for no obvious reason; or democrats? ***"I put a hat on my Mom." Hey junior space-child, you needed to put it on her *shiney side out!****Sabrina Morgan said her mother tried to come to a stop but instead she drove around a stopped vehicle, and the construction worker, Hopper, hit the truck."It scared my mom. She hit the gas," Sabrina Morgan said because she believed people were after them.---"she tried to stop?" yeah, and today I tried to earn a million dollars too! lock Ramona up, and somebody please assign Sabrina lifetime monitoring! she's headed down her mother's road, pun intended.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
LSD will make you see large bugs too.
compmd (anonymous) says…
I would hope that my children would have the integrity to have me committed if I went crazy. Way to feed your mother's delusions, Sabrina.
costello (anonymous) says…
compmd says: "I would hope that my children would have the integrity to have me committed if I went crazy. Way to feed your mother's delusions, Sabrina."It's not that easy to have someone committed.
otto (anonymous) says…
I say hang em high - the daughter too (she's too stupid to be in society) You can't fix stupid.I know it wont solve this situation but I'd be willing to bet they will cause alot more grief for people in the future, including taxpayers.
srj (anonymous) says…
I wish the DA would do this case, not an assistant.
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
How did these flipping losers have the money to hire Billy Rork? Sounds like he is trying some capacity baded defense or that she was nuts or something to medigate things. Rork is one of the best defense attorneys in the area. I remember this event and it was very sad. I do not see how even Billy Rork could get this lady off.
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
Whoops, I meant to say capacity "based" defense.
somebodynew (anonymous) says…
so we_hate_lawrence here is a question to you - - Why Not Leave ?? Oh, but I guess you don't want to leave when mom is still on trial. Well, hopefully when she gets convicted there will be nothing stopping you from packing up and going back to Washington.
50YearResident (anonymous) says…
UFO's were after her, she had to run over those yellow/orange dressed space aliens to save her own life.
tangential_reasoners_anonymous (anonymous) says…
Py: "So maybe it was the voices in her head chasing her:?"Clearly, she was being pursued by demons... and it would appear thatthey caught her... innocents, unfortunately, in the wake....
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
let's hear it for the "know_it_alls" in Lawrence and your pathetic little court of public opinion.Stop talking before you embarrass yourselves anymore::::.---yes, I also thought this is Sabrina space-baby too! So WHL, you think Ramona Morgan is innocent? You think it was all right for her to run down two road workers just because they were *doing their job?* You think it was all right for her to threaten the lives of others who were simply working? ya' know, instead of coming on here with such a pointless post, why don't you explain these questions, along with just why you hate lawrence. is it you hate lawrence, and our public opinion expressed here because you actually think your mother/ramona morgan is innocent? then, please answer: just who was chasing her? who was trying to kill her? has the Missouri 9-1-1 call been even documented? and, as posted above, why in heck was she even on highway 59 in the first place? ***you don't like our public opinion? why, because we take offense at someone who wantonly ends the lives of people, then says she didn't hit anybody? who does she think killed the two actually dead road workers? c'mon, was it a "false flag operation" by our government meant to distract from something?***and, in my previous post I should have spelled his name "Sirhan Sirhan," who couldn't have been chasing Ramona Morgan, because he was recently denied parole for the thirteenth time!oh, but maybe it was the guy who shot Reagan?
roseprincess1980 (anonymous) says…
I don't see how anyone can defend that monster for killing my cousin Ronnie (Rolland). How can these people that defend her sleep at night? What if it was their family that was killed? It would be a different story then, huh? I will be at the trial tomorrow along with his parents, wife, and some other family. I will also be visiting the place where he was killed for the first time. Tomorrow is sure to be a very emotional day for us all.
TheSychophant (anonymous) says…
srj said: I wish the DA would do this case, not an assistantI respectfully disagree. Good old Charlie Branson talks a good line, but he doesn't have much trial experience. His assistants, however, do.
thebcman (anonymous) says…
"alleged fatal wreck" ... oh come on LJW .. it was a very fatal wreck. Ramona needs to fry like those bugs in the mosquito zapper.
Starlight (anonymous) says…
I'm sure this is reliable testimony coming from someone who took a mailbox and attacked passing cars. They must have all been after her, too, back in 2002.
coltrane (anonymous) says…
roseprincess - i agree.no way. that (expletive deleted) should either be determined to be mentally ill or serve a full sentence formurder.
coltrane (anonymous) says…
roseprincess - maybe she could volunteer as a 'crash-dummy'?
nurseinkville (anonymous) says…
I grew up across the street from Ty. He was my classmate, neighbor, and friend for all of those years. I see the pain in his parent's eyes every time I visit. I pray for their continued strength through this entire process and extend those prayers to the Griffith family and to those who had to witness this horrific event. May God bless you all. Thinking of you.....
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Somebodynew and Bearded~ I think you give nutty daughter Sabrina way too much credit if you think she is posting here. They both seem as dumb as a box of rocks and totally out of touch with the world. Sabrina probably thinks the "internet" is that mesh crotch lining inside her Lane Bryant clearance swimsuit.No... I'm betting that bitter poster is just a local wackadoodledoo who identifies with Ramona because he, too, is delusional (note the name: "'we' hate Lawrence"-- "we" being him and the voices jockeying for dominance in his head). T_R_A ~ You got that right! Now if only the demons would finish her off and save the taxpayers some money. My condolences to families and friends of the victims. I can't even begin to imagine what you're going through. I'm sure I speak for many when I say I never drive that stretch of road without giving some thought to the men who died there while honorably doing their work.
yoornotmee (anonymous) says…
I really doubt she was on psychedelics. If I had to bet, I'd go for meth with a bit of predisposition for crazy already in place.
flaggergirl (anonymous) says…
i'm not sure what i can say on here. But i cant wait to see what the jury says.
katibeth (anonymous) says…
I can't believe that there are actually people on here defending the woman who obviously had no reguard for human life. You can't tell me that there is or ever will be any excuse to not follow the safety regulations in a construction zone. As I said in my post on a previous article on this, my brother has worked construction for 4 years. I know quite a few people who are involved in this industury, including Rolland. To think that someone can't even admit to the pain and suffering that they are causing all of Rolland's family and friends, not to mention Ty's family and friends, is un-flipping-believable. Just admit what you did and move on. Reguardless of whether you are convicted at this time or not, which I don't see how in the world you would get off, you will get judgement passed on you one way or another. And one more thing. You tried to stop for the flagger? Yeah right, there is no way that she would have just "attacked your car" for no reason. It's her job to keep that site safe... and your job to pay attention to the warning signs. I KNOW there was warning signs to tell you that road construction was ahead. Anyone who lives in the United States has seen road construction, and they warn you well in advance... for their safety and yours!!!!! Nothing can excuse not being able to see the big bright orange signs, not to mention the BRIGHT orange flagger, or the BRIGHT orange workers, or for that matter the BRIGHT yellow BIG equipment.
bigsis04 (anonymous) says…
These construction workers are there to make sure things go smoothly in there construction zone. They are there to protect there fellow co-workers and friends! I'm sure this flagger had just cause to hit Ramona's Truck with her sign. What in the heck was she doing driving back and forth through the contruction zone anyways? This woman obviously is off her rocker, her daughter too. I hope they both get punished for this, even if they don't in court. God Knows what is truly in there hearts, and MINDS...
TopJayhawk (anonymous) says…
I'm betting bi-polar, and no meds. Always a dangerous combination, or lack there of. But it is very hard to make someone take meds, and the courts have made it harder.The courts and Congress have decided to protect peoples' rights and "dignity" even if someone gets killed, and sometimes they do. And to logicsound who criticized me the last time I said this: You are right, it is not a partisan issue. These decisions were made on both sides of the isle, and for differant reasons, but the end game is often someones death.
somebodynew (anonymous) says…
Pywacket - I know, I did think of that, but she does have a boyfriend since starting to live here. I think it could be him posting for both. (And I do know this is a scary idea, but he does exist as I have seen him at previous court proceedings for Ramona.)
Boeing (anonymous) says…
I have to say, they look so smashing in those orange jumpsuits, they should wear them forever!
areyouserious (anonymous) says…
we_hate_lawrence,Guess what........Lawrence hates you and your relative who decided to mow over two innocent people because the wind was chasing them ( what a couple of FLAKES).....its not too late to pack up and head out.
rodentgirl16 (anonymous) says…
My bet is on paranoid schizophrenia sans the meds...
missmagoo (anonymous) says…
rodent and others--why not just go with the insanity defense then? just from these facts alone, it seems as if she would be a likely candidate, so there must be something we don't know!and why not ask sabrina if her mom hit those men? i assume you can't ask sabrina how her mom reacted/if she was aware of hitting the men, etc if they don't ask her if she even hit them. this seems like a mistake.
Ragingbear (anonymous) says…
Rodentgirl: It could be Paranoid Schizophrenia, but most of their paranoia is based around conspiracies to do something such as "He is slowly poisoning my garden" or "He is plotting against me for the CIA" and is less likely that it was active paranoia, where you think somebody is currently in the process of trying to kill you at that moment. Bipolar Disorder, otherwise known as manic-depressive disorder, causes feelings of euphoria and energy for prolonged periods of time. During this time, they are impulsive, have a lot of drive and energy, and can be short fused. Since lack of sleep is a common symptom of mania, they will sometimes go a week on less than 4 hours of sleep. Deprive any human of sleep long enough and they will exhibit schizophrenia like symptoms. This is usually the case with a manic "crash", where delusions are common, and even hallucinations occur with a moderate frequency. Shortly after that stage, the body will reach a shut-down stage. It's an auto-defense mechanism where the brain must shut down or risk severe and permanent damage. That is usually when they just collapse, sometimes behind a wheel. Unfortunately, a common symptom of mania is that they stop taking their medications. This can make things worse. It's the entire Chicken vs. Egg issue with meds and mania.If it can be proven that she was in a severe state like that at the time, she may be able to use an insanity defense. But there would be medical records, statements, and activity logs in the jail that would quickly indicate if that was the case. This is not the same with all Bipolar people. Some have a mania that is actually what some would call "feeling normal", where you just feel good and have energy, but none of the negative side effects. Some have mania that tends to revert before severe levels that severe are attained. Others tend to be severe, but are rarely any legitimate threat to themselves or others, unless you count destroying your place in society. Meth can also do that. Take it for a while, and one of the first symptoms you would have from lack of sleep would be paranoia anyways. Now add in a stimulant known to generate paranoia and you got a bad mix. Now those people do tend to think that people are actively out to get them.
bearded_gnome (anonymous) says…
Pywacket - I know, I did think of that, but she does have a boyfriend since starting to live here. I think it could be him posting for both. (And I do knowthis is a scary idea, but he does exist as I have seen him at previous court proceedings for Ramona.)---require immediate sterilization for mummy and space-babe daughter!so, where does this daughter live anyway? I'm so proud she found herself a boyfriend in lawrence! yaay!***TopJ, indeed maintaining her on meds. the history of recent move from washington, saw some land in MO, but rejected it ... wondered myself if the meds just sorta got lost in all the hoopla! indeed, this certainly isn't a left-vs-right issue, but some people like logiclessunsound try to twist everything into one. I also note what space-babe daughter said. it seems if Mom's in delusions/hallucinations, daughter certainly isn't helping the situation at all!
samsnewplace (anonymous) says…
I agree with the very first blog post, dumb and dumber in court and it's our tax dollars spent in there with them daily. I can't believe it's been this long already, cut and dry case.
Newell_Post (anonymous) says…
Here's my diagnosis: she's lying. Convict and execute.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Somebodynew~ A boyfriend?! Now that's some scary stuff. I agree with bearded--sterilize those two posthaste. Can you just imagine what kind of grotesque spawn Sabrina might produce?hawkperched~ Not that this is so important, but since you keep asking, they were NOT going through Lawrence to get to Missouri. They were on their way back. Did you not read the comment about how they were disappointed with the land they had been considering buying in MO? Or the comment that they had already called 911 once in MO, thinking they were being chased or watched or some such rot?I would interpret those statements to mean they had already been to MO, don't ya think? Again... not a big deal, but now you can change your question to: what were they doing driving back & forth on 59 on the way back to Washington from Missouri. Carry on.As for why they would drive halfway across the country to look at a piece of land: my guess is that they have heard what a mecca Missouri is for rural meth labs and had planned to set up shop in some quiet countryside doublewide...Who knows what caused them to reject the place?