LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB/WAVE) — A woman accused of driving under the influence and killing two people in Bullitt County is trying to remove the prosecutor off her case the day before trial is supposed to start.
The trial for Dawn Middleton, of Taylorsville, is set to begin Tuesday. Middleton is charged with two counts of murder, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of controlled substances and disregarding a traffic light.
Middleton appeared in Bullitt District Court Monday to request that the prosecutor, Michael Van Sickle, be removed from the case.
According to Middleton's attorneys, Van Sickle worked with Middleton during his time as a public defender on previous drug charges, causing a conflict of interest in this case.
It is not known at this time if Van Sickle will be removed.
Two people were killed in a crash around 3:30 p.m. on June 5, 2024, on Preston Highway at Old Preston Highway near Marketplace Drive in Hillview. At the time, Hillview police reported that the crash was between a pickup truck and an SUV. The two people in the pickup truck, Richard and Phyllis Elzey, died at the scene.
Police said Middleton was driving her father's Ford Escape on Preston Highway when she disregarded a red light at the intersection of Preston Highway North at Marketplace Drive and Old Preston Highway when she hit the passenger side door of a pickup truck.
The impact of the crash caused the pickup to roll over, causing "extreme blunt force trauma" that led to the deaths of the Elzey's.
Middleton was under the influence of amphetamines, benzodiazepine, methadone and cannabinoids at the time of the crash, according to court documents.
As it stands, Middleton's trial is set to begin Tuesday at 9 a.m.
Copyright 2026 WDRB Media and WAVE. All Rights Reserved.
