More than a year after 36-year-old Antonio Conrad was struck and killed while helping a stranded driver on the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge, a Campbell County grand jury has indicted the man accused of hitting him. John K. Ray now faces a reckless homicide charge tied to the July 2025 crash, and he is scheduled to be arraigned in Campbell County Court on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Newport Police say the crash unfolded around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, July 6, 2025, when Conrad pulled over behind a broken-down car in the far-right northbound lane of Interstate 471 on the bridge, commonly known as the Big Mac Bridge, and was physically pushing the disabled vehicle when another car slammed into his stopped car from behind, according to WLWT. Conrad’s vehicle had its hazard lights on at the time, and the driver who struck it stayed at the scene, per Newport Police. Conrad was a father of six and a grandfather from Newport, and he died from his injuries shortly after being taken to the hospital.
Conrad’s fiancée was riding in the passenger seat of his car when it was hit and suffered serious injuries, according to the outlet’s report. She underwent multiple surgeries and physical therapy afterward and is still recovering from her injuries more than a year later.
Family Reacts to Long-Awaited Charges
Conrad’s mother, Silver Conrad, said the indictment marks the beginning of closure for her family after more than a year of waiting, and she said she has wondered why Ray had not been arrested sooner. Anieya Phillips, Conrad’s eldest daughter, and other relatives plan to attend Ray’s arraignment this week. A family friend, Sienna Thompson, said the driver should have been able to avoid the crash…