CLEVELAND, Ohio – A Cleveland man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges that his reckless driving caused a crash that killed two people in the city’s Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood last month.

Darnell Williams, 27, was indicted Friday on two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide. He appeared for his arraignment from the Cuyahoga County Jail, seated in a wheelchair. Common Pleas Court Administrative Judge Brendan Sheehan set his bond at $100,000.

On the morning of June 23, Williams was driving his Kia Forte eastbound on Lorain Avenue above the 25 mile per hour limit, police say. At the intersection of West 44th Street, he ran a red light and struck a Volkswagen Microbus, a witness told authorities.

The collision split the Microbus into two and caused the death of its driver, 58-year-old Eddie Caraballo of Cleveland, authorities say. The front-seat passenger, 49-year-old Digna Rondon of Cleveland, died later at the hospital, according to police and the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s office.

Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer reached out to the Cuyahoga County public defender’s office, which is representing Williams.

His criminal history includes a 2022 conviction for drug trafficking and weapons charges. He received a two-year prison sentence.