COLUMBUS, Ohio — New details are emerging in a case involving a 24 year veteran of the Columbus Division of Police who is charged with nine misdemeanor counts of failing to complete investigations involving serious injury crashes.
Connie Brant, who worked the past nine years in the Accident Investigation Unit, was placed on leave in October 2022 after questions were raised about the cases she worked on.
Columbus City Attorney Zach Klein filed a complaint in Franklin County Municipal Court alleging Detective Brant did not complete or failed to submit reports involving eight aggravated vehicular assaults cases along with one vehicular manslaughter case.
But 10TV found one other case Brant did not complete.
On November 12, 2021 Jillian Kerr nearly died when an alleged drunk driver slammed into her car.
The crash required the removal of her right leg below the knee and she spent a month in the hospital in recovery.
“I was pretty much broken from my neck to my toes. I had so many fractures they couldn't keep track,” she said.
The case was assigned to Detective Brant.
But Kerr said all she received were three emails in a year.
“She wouldn't return my calls, it's like she didn't care. I felt like my case wasn't bad enough for her,” she said.
10TV obtained the emails between Kerr and Detective Brant.
Kerr asks Brant for an update on her case.
Detective Brant replied, "I have not yet received any test results from the other driver. Unfortunately, the lab takes quite a while to get back to us. I will attempt a phone call to get your statement soon. Feel free to contact me with questions.”
Not only does the city allege Detective Brant failed to complete her investigations, the statute of limitations on the cases expired preventing the city from prosecuting.
Kerr’s case is not one of them.
Kerr says the person responsible for crashing into her has not been charged.
She says another detective took over her case and presented evidence to the prosecutor.
Not only did she lose part of her leg in the crash, she lost part of her intestine and colon.
“I deal with constant pain from this accident,” she said.
She said the person who hit her had minimal insurance to cover her hospital costs.
Kerr says she was surprised to learn she wasn’t the only one whose experience with detective Brant wasn’t good.
“It's very sad, it's very sad,” she said.
If convicted of the crime, the city attorney’s office says Brant could face a maximum of 180 days in jail or probation and a $500 fine for each count.
10TV reached out by phone to Brant for comment. The person who answered said “not interested.”