Emporian sentenced to over 10 years in prison following fatal Johnson County wreck last year

OLATHE, Kan. – An Emporia man was sentenced Wednesday to 129 months, or just over 10 years, in state prison for a drunken-driving crash last year that killed an Overland Park woman and severely injured her passenger.

Jordan T. Miller, 28, stood before Johnson County District Judge Timothy Sloan as the sentence was handed down for the April 15, 2023, wreck that claimed the life of 52-year-old Catherine Price. Miller had previously pleaded guilty in February to one count of involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence and one count of aggravated battery.

The charges stemmed from a violent, head-on collision on a stretch of K-10 highway near the De Soto exit. According to court documents and statements made during the hearing, Miller was driving his pickup truck eastbound in the westbound lanes at approximately 11:30 p.m.

Prosecutors said multiple drivers called 911 to report a wrong-way driver moments before the crash. Miller’s truck slammed into the sedan driven by Price, who was pronounced dead at the scene. Her husband, who was in the passenger seat, sustained multiple broken bones and other critical injuries but survived.

During the emotionally charged sentencing hearing, Assistant District Attorney Frank Webber called Miller’s actions “a catastrophic failure of judgment that ended one life and irrevocably altered others.” He detailed how toxicology reports showed Miller’s blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit of .08.

“This was not an accident,” Webber argued to the court. “This was the direct and foreseeable result of a choice to get behind the wheel while heavily intoxicated, turning a 5,000-pound vehicle into an unguided missile.”

A statement from Catherine Price’s family was read aloud by a victim’s advocate. In it, they described her as a beloved elementary school teacher, a devoted mother of two, and a woman whose “vibrant spirit was a light in every room she entered.”

“There is no sentence long enough to fill the void that has been ripped into our family,” the statement read. “We are serving a life sentence of grief, and we only hope that today’s outcome prevents another family from experiencing this same agony.”

When given the opportunity to speak, Miller, dressed in county jail attire, turned to face Price’s family members in the gallery and offered a tearful apology.

“I am so sorry. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t hate myself for what I did,” Miller said, his voice breaking. “I take full responsibility. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. I’m sorry.”

Miller’s defense attorney noted his client’s lack of a significant prior criminal record and his immediate cooperation with law enforcement following the crash.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Sloan acknowledged Miller’s remorse but emphasized the devastating consequences of his actions. “The court must impose a sentence that reflects the gravity of this loss,” Sloan stated. “A life was taken, and the community must be assured that such reckless behavior carries a severe penalty.”

Miller was taken into custody by sheriff’s deputies immediately following the proceeding to begin serving his sentence. He will be required to serve a period of post-release supervision upon the completion of his prison term.