Aug 2, 2007 10:37 AM

Miami U. Train Death Prompts New Campus Safety Program   

Posted By: Deb Silverman         Top of page                          Article 

Reported that a new campus safety program by Miami University was prompted by the recent tragic death of student Beth Speidel who was killed when walking near railroad tracks while intoxicated.  Students will be reminded of the dangers of drugs and alcohol.

Also reported that Beth Speidel's blood alcohol level was double the legal limit.

Toxicology report issued in MU student's death        

 By Joe Giordano            Top of page                             Article

Staff Writer

Monday, April 16, 2007

Reported of a toxicology report released Monday revealed the alcohol level in Beth A. Speidel's body was more than twice the legal driving limit of .08 and that it exceeded .200.  Police concluded that alcohol likely played a role in Beth's tragic accident.

Police said Speidel, age 19, had visited two bars Friday evening before wandering to the rail crossing sometime after 1 a.m. Saturday morning. A  freight train Speidel at around 1:45 a.m.

Contact this reporter at (513) 523-4139 or jgiordano@coxohio.com.

DaytonDailyNews.com:

Copyright ©2007 Cox Ohio Publishing, Dayton, Ohio, USA. All rights reserved.

Miami student drunk when hit by train                     Top of page

BY MICHAEL D. CLARK | MCLARK@ENQUIRER.COM          Article

Reported that Beth Speidel spent the last hours of her young life intoxicated and hanging out with friends before inexplicably walking off late at night and being killed by a 53-car-freight train.

Dozens Of Tickets Issued In Oxford Over The Weekend                 Top of page

College, drinking hand-in-hand, sometimes stalked by death

 BY PETER BRONSON                                       Top of page

Sunday, October 7, 2007

Reports about the activity in Butler County Area I Court in Oxford where the judge handles the typical criminal cases along with situations common to college communities:

"As the court appearances shuffle through the afternoon like prisoners in shackles, the docket tells the story: petty theft, vandalism, drunk driving, false I.D., disorderly conduct, obstructing police, a fight with a roommate. It takes no stretch to imagine how the college boys got here. A Friday night. Too many beers at a rowdy campus party. A prank gone wrong. An argument. The cops show up."

Along with these offenses, the article reports on more serious charges levied against the friends of Beth Speidel for their role in the events leading to her death:

"Five girls who were with Beth that night - all underage - are being prosecuted. Kathleen Byrne, Christine Carr, Danielle Davis, Kristina Sicker and Maureen Grady are charged with furnishing alcohol to a minor. Maureen Grady was in court Sept. 27 with her parents. Her lawyer was asking the court to suppress the girls' statements to detectives before they were charged."

E-mail pbronson@enquirer.com or call 513-768-8301.

Statements ruled improper                                                                   

Reported that the prosecutions of Kristina Sicker and Kathleen Byrne, two Miami University students charged with helping an underage student get drunk before she was struck and killed by a freight train, were dropped after the Judge Rob Lyons  that their statements could not be used against them because they were not read their Miranda rights. The case of a third student, Christine Carr, also was dropped because of problems with her statements.

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