Michigan Man Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Huffing Related Crash

via Macomb Daily

A man was sentenced to six years in prison for causing a traffic death after abusing inhalants. Police state that he tested positive for difluoroethane, the active ingredient in aerosol cans. He collided with a truck while high, killing the woman's husband. The man pleaded guilty to causing death while driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and driving with a suspended license.

Man Facing 16 Years In Prison in Huffing Related Crash

via Herald Net

A Washington teen was convicted of vehicular homicide and three counts of vehicular assault. The young man caused a car crash after huffing, resulting in the death of a 17-year-old girl and injuries to three others. The driver who caused the accident was not injured. After the crash, he tested positive for difluoroethane, a chemical found in computer duster. He is facing 16 years in prison.

Man Sentenced to Prison in Huffing Related Car Crash

via LGBT Weekly

Jury convicted a man of gross vehicular manslaughter for crashing into a car after huffing computer duster. A 9-year-old girl sustained brain damage and was pronounced dead a number of days later. The man faces ten years in prison. The man had four cans of computer duster in his vehicle and had elevated levels of the chemical found in the duster, difluorethane.

Ohio Man Causes Fatal Wreck While High on Inhalants

via http://www.dispatch.com

A Westerville, Ohio man is given 7 years in prison after causing a fatal wreck while being under the influence of an inhalant. The man admitted to aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular assault after huffing from a can of air duster and killing a veteran in a head on collision. In addition to his sentence, his license has been suspended for 25 years and he has been ordered to pay $33,837 dollars to the late veteran's wife, who was in the vehicle as well.

Florida Man Sentenced after Huffing Computer Cleaner and Attacking Police

Via http://www.newsherald.com

A 34 year old man in Springfield, Florida was arrested on March 14, 2015 for inhaling the contents of a can of computer cleaner in a cemetery. As the police took him into custody, he repeatedly tried to kick and lash out at the officers. These acts of physical aggression continued even after the police used a stun gun on him.

After this incident, he was charged with inhaling a harmful chemical substance and resisting arrest with violence. After pleading no contest, he was sentenced to just over one year in prison on Friday October 9^th, 2015.

Guilty ruling upheld in huffing crash

Via The Chicago Tribune

A 19-year-old woman from Illinois who was found guilty of aggravated DUI for a crash that killed a 5-year-old girl in 2012 will not have the ruling reversed. The woman was inhaling keyboard duster at the wheel until she achieved the result of unconsciousness or semi-consciousness. Because she understood her actions based on previous experience, the judge will not reverse the ruling. The woman could receive up to 14 years in prison when she is sentences for aggravated DUI and reckless homicide.

Wisconsin Woman Jailed After Repeated Inhalant Abuse

Via Leader Telegram in Wisconsin:

For her repeated incidents of inhalant abuse, a 47 year old woman is scheduled to spend two years in jail and three years on extended supervision upon release from prison. As part of the supervision she is required “not to drink alcohol, enter taverns, or possess aerosol cans.”

The woman was sentenced this week after her probation was revoked due to “huffing keyboard cleaner on four subsequent occasions, grabbing and jerking the steering wheel of a taxi in which she was a passenger, and kicking the rear view and side mirrors of the cab.” 

The article notes her 2009 crashes where in one incident when passers-by gave her a shirt for her head wound she “sprayed dust cleaner on the shirt and huffed the garment.”

Missouri Man Under the Influence Stabs Man in Homeless Camp

Via News-Leader.com in Missouri:

A recent huffing incident in a homeless camp in Springfield led one thirty-eight year old man to stab another man in the camp on Tuesday night. According to police, the man had consumed seven, 24-ounce beers and huffed gasoline fumes before attacking. The man also seemed to experience hallucinations in which he was unable to accurately describe the incident.

Charged in the past with four felony convictions, the man is being held in Greene County Jail on charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action. This carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Illinois Man Charged with Reckless Homicide After Killing Three

Via Quad-Cities Online in Illinois:

Earlier this morning, Judge Ted Hamer of Henry County Court District in Illinois charged a twenty-year-old man with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. The driver is connected with three previous deaths which took place in November of 2012 during a car accident.

While it was first unclear whether the driver was having seizures or huffing, it soon became clear to authorities that he was abusing inhalants. A toxicologist confirmed the man was huffing using various pieces of evidence such as the weight loss in the can discovered at the scene, and the driver's history of "blacking out."

The driver could face anywhere from six to twenty-eight years in prison, with a possible but very slim chance of probation.

4 Year Prison Sentence for Injuring Women After Huffing and Driving in Florida

Via Sun Sentinel in South Florida:

A 46 year old man was recently charged with huffing and driving and injuring a 28 year old women walking her dog in Palm Beach County, Florida. The driver was sentenced to four years in prison. Records show that at the time of the crash the driver was driving without a license (due to two DUI convictions), and the license plate was not registered to that vehicle. Police announce that the man had been huffing aerosol cans before the accident.

Huffing Behind The Wheel Can Lead to 5 Years in Prison

Via the Argus Leader in South Dakota:


Last month a 37 year old woman was arrested after an inhalant related crash. A witness noticed a car run into another vehicle in a mall parking lot and then saw the driver huff computer duster and then pass out behind the wheel.

The driver was indicted on “alternate counts of driving under the influence of an intoxicant other than an alcoholic beverage and one count of ingesting a substance for the purpose of becoming intoxicated.” And based on her three previous DUI convictions from 2003, 2005 and 2008 she is now eligible for "up to five years in the South Dakota State Women’s Prison for fourth-offense DUI."

Sentenced to 8 yrs. in Prison for Vehicular Homicide

Via the Trib.com in Wyoming:

Last November, a Wyoming woman was involved in a huffing-related car crash that resulted in the death of her best friend (Read our original post here). The woman has now pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide, for which she faces at least eight years in prison.

The woman says she doesn't remember anything about the crash, and a witness to the crash reported that the woman had "both hands on the wheel, eyes wide open, but nobody was home."

The woman is deeply upset over the death of friend and "has wished many times that she had died instead."

Three Dead in Huffing-Related Car Crash, Teen Arrested

Via KWQC in Illinois:

A Toulon, Illinois teenager was arrested last Thursday night for aggravated DUI and reckless homicide. Last November, the teen was driving with four friends when he passed out after huffing electronic duster. He lost control of the vehicle, and the car "hit a mailbox, vaulted into 114 feet into the air, and crashed nose first into the ground."

Three of the passengers who were not wearing seatbelts were thrown from the car and died. The driver and one passenger survived.

Even though police cannot test for huffing the way they test for drugs and alcohol, investigators decided that the evidence and witnesses were sufficient to press charges. The teen could face up to 28 years in prison if convicted.

The deaths have deeply affected the community of Toulon, IL, with one resident saying, "If you don't know the boys directly, you know their mother or their uncle, you know somebody in their family is affected."

Man Sentenced to Prison for Vehicular Homicide Induced by Inhalant

Man gets sentenced to 6 years in prison for a vehicular homicide induced by marijuana and inhalants.

The man plead guilty to having marijuana and difluoroethane (a chemical found in keyboard cleaner) in his system.

According to reports, the man bought the keyboard cleaner from a local Wal-Mart and huffed the contents in the restroom before operating his vehicle.

Once on the road he crossed into oncoming traffic killing the victim.

The victim left behind his wife and two young daughters.

Via phillyburbs.com in Pennsylvania

Huffing Driver to Serve Four Years

Courtesy of the Fergus Falls Journal
Rothsay, MN

A an 18 year old Barnesville man was sentenced to four years in prison for a crash that killed a man while he was mowing his lawn on May 3, 2010.

The (then 17 year old) driver had been speeding and driving erratically. Though the crash occurred a few days before his 18th birthday, making him technically a juvenile, he was tried as an adult.

He was charged with criminal vehicular homicide while under the influence of a hazardous substance, a charge which he plead guilty to in January.

Blood tests taken at the scene confirmed that the driver had been huffing aerosol cleaning products prior to the crash.

Inhalant Use In Prisons Down Under

From the Star News Group:

Authorities at an Australian prison noted a staggering prevalence of drug use among prisoners. The Australian Institute of Criminology reported an alarming 48 % are addicted to heroin and 41% to marijuana. However, the 2007-2009 report showed a surprising twofold increase. In 2008, 12% of surveyed prisoners admitted to using inhalants compared to 6% the year before.

Former UCF Student Sentenced

From The Central Florida Future in Florida

A former University of Central Florida student will spend 18 months in prison in connection to an October 2006 car crash that left another UCF student dead. Malcolm Barnes pled “no contest in a Florida court November 20th for DUI and manslaughter charges.”

Accident reports reveal Barnes was under the influence of inhalants when he drove into oncoming traffic, struck a motorcycle head on, and killed the driver near the UCF campus. Barnes was apparently so high that he was unaware he had hit another vehicle, and dragged the motorcyclist 300 feet before stopping.

Deputies discovered two cans of computer duster and a rag while searching Barnes’ vehicle. Blood tests also confirmed he had been ‘huffing.’

While the minimal prison sentence for a typical DUI manslaughter case is nine years, Barnes was given a lighter sentence due to his “true remorse” for his actions. He extended an apology to family members and friends of the victim stating, “I am ashamed and deeply sorry to be involved so negatively in your lives…you did not deserve this nightmare.”

In addition to serving 18 months in jail, he will also face two years of probation requiring him to spend 150 hours speaking to area youth about the dangers of ‘huffing’ and driving while intoxicated. His driver’s license has been revoked indefinitely.

Jankins Heads to Prison For Fatal Crash

From Philly.com in Pennsylvania

Rachael Jankins, 20, was sentenced to four-and-a-half to 10 years in prison for her involvement in the August 14th crash outside Delaware County Memorial Hospital that killed 19-year-old Nicole Gallo and seriously injured 20-year-old Christine Bochanski. Jankins initially told police she was distracted by her iPod when she lost control of her vehicle and struck both women. However, police have ruled that Jankins was ‘huffing’ computer duster prior to the accident, as her blood tested positive for difluoroethane- a chemical concentrated in keyboard cleaning spray.

Jankins pled guilty to charges of vehicular homicide, driving under the influence, and aggravated assault yesterday. In addition to her prison sentence, Jankins will serve 6 years probation and be expected to pay over $18,000 in restitution.

Driver In Fatal Crash Sentenced

From The Daily Item in Pennsylvania

The 22-year-old driver responsible for causing a fatal wreck last January was sentenced Tuesday in Snyder County. Jessica Curry admitted to huffing computer duster prior to “swerving into oncoming traffic and striking another vehicle head on” in an accident that killed her 20-year-old friend and passenger Jason Noll, and left a 56-year-old woman wheel chair bound.

Curry was “sentenced for homicide by vehicle” after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide, illegal use of solvents, two counts of driving on the wrong side of the road, and a seat belt violation back in September. Authorities recovered several cans of dust remover from Curry’s vehicle at the accident scene.

At the request of Jason Noll’s family, Judge Harold Woelfel Jr. “rejected the state’s request for a state prison sentence of up to seven years” and instead “imposed a county jail term of less than two years.” Noll’s family wanted Curry to “have the chance to turn her life around” –even granting her their forgiveness for Jason’s death.

According to court documents Curry was an avid ‘huffer’ who would get high with her mother on a regular basis (who is now in a state mandated drug treatment facility). Along with serving her term in county jail, Curry will serve six years of probation- requiring her to enroll in a drug treatment program and abstain from using alcohol and drugs. Moments before her sentencing Curry addressed the court stating, “I’m really sorry…I’m not a bad person…I just made a mistake.”

Man Brain Damaged by Huffing Remains in Institution

From the Courthouse News Service in Alaska:

The Alaska Supreme Court just ruled that a “man who damaged his brain by huffing chemicals must remain in a mental institution against his will, even though treatment is unlikely to help him.”

The article notes that he “damaged his frontal lobe through huffing gasoline fumes and other inhalants” and that “if he is discharged from the institute, he will go back to huffing.”

The doctor wrote "He cannot perceive and understand reality. His judgment is extremely poor and he is unable to make rational decisions, as shown by his continued desire to inhale toxic substances."