Man Charged With Murder In Death Of Baldwin Wallace Student

A 48-year-old Brooklyn man accused of causing a fatal car accident on I-480 near Ridge Road on February 14 has been formally charged with murder for the incident.

In what was deemed to be a suicide attempt, 48-year-old Mark Rafter of Brooklyn drove the wrong way in the westbound lanes of I-480 in the early hours of the morning, police said. Rafter collided with a Ford Fiesta driven by 20-year-old Kayla Coates, a Baldwin Wallace University student who was on her way to work for the early shift at a McDonalds’s restaurant in Middleburg Heights.

Coates’ vehicle was severely damaged on the driver’s side, according to Fox 8, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rafter, who was seriously injured in the collision, is currently in critical condition at MetroHealth Medical Center.

Police said in a statement that an investigation into the crash revealed that Rafter’s wrong way driving was a suicide attempt. The Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office announced charges filed against Rafter on Thursday afternoon. Among the charges are murder, aggravated murder, aggravated vehicular homicide, and aggravated assault.

If convicted, Rafter could face the death penalty.

[Photo of Raft Courtesy of Brooklyn Police Department]