GLASGOW — An 18-year-old Edmonton resident entered a plea of not guilty Monday to three counts of murder and other charges stemming from an Oct. 17 vehicle collision in Barren County.

A grand jury Dec. 17 formally charged Asa Howard with the murder counts as well as one count of first-degree assault and three of first-degree wanton endangerment.

A criminal complaint alleges that at about 11:25 p.m. Oct. 17, Howard was driving a vehicle with five passengers and collided with another driver at North Jackson Highway and Veterans Outer Loop. The collision caused the deaths of three of Howard’s passengers and life-threatening injuries to a fourth passenger, who, like Howard, was airlifted to Skyline Hospital in Nashville, according to the complaint; Howard’s fifth passenger was treated and released at T.J. Samson Hospital.

Those killed were Emily Corbin, 18, of Hart County, William T. Moore, 17, of Edmonton, and Charley L. Fancher, 14, of Bowling Green.

Family members of the victims were in attendance at the arraignment Monday. Howard, booked in the Barren County Corrections Center under a $750,000 cash bond, attended electronically to enter the not guilty plea through his counsel, Ken Garrett.

Barren County Circuit Court Judge John Alexander scheduled a pre-trial conference for April 13.

An investigation by the Glasgow Police Department with assistance by Kentucky State Police determined that Howard was “operating the vehicle at a high rate of speed, failed to stop at a red light, and did not make any attempt to avoid the collision,” according to the criminal complaint. Howard immediately fled on foot following the collision and returned later to the scene “appearing to be manifestly under the influence of an intoxicating substance,” according to the complaint.

GPD interviewed several witnesses and the two surviving passengers in the vehicle driven by Howard, according to affidavits by Glasgow Police Department Officer Steven Fields to request search warrants for Howard’s phone and Oct. 16 to 20 Snapchat data. Through these interviews, GPD learned of “possible video messages, phone calls and other media sent by passengers prior to the collision which reveal the intoxication level, speeds, and reckless actions” of Howard, according to the search warrant affidavits.