Driver in spill fails to show

By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- The truck driver police said toppled her rig and spilled 8,500 gallons of gasoline on Interstate 680 failed to show for trial.
Justine L. Kelly, 34, of Versailles, N.Y., was due in municipal court late Wednesday afternoon to answer a charge of failure to maintain reasonable control. The charge is a minor misdemeanor, punishable by a maximum fine of $150. No jail time is imposed on minor misdemeanors.
Dana C. Guarnieri, an assistant city prosecutor, said Wednesday that a warrant would be issued for Kelly's arrest. Witnesses had been subpoenaed for the trial.
"She said she's stuck in Canada with her job," said Boardman defense attorney Kathleen Thompson, who spoke to Kelly earlier in the day. The lawyer said she has not been retained by Kelly, though that was the plan.
The rig, which Kelly drove southbound on Interstate 680 to Exit 3A, rolled to its side at 1:12 p.m. March 29 as it rounded the curve.
The ramp was closed for nine days to permit cleanup. Gasoline seeped into the ground and flowed into the sewer system.