Man found guilty of vehicular homicide

He faces up to eight years on one charge and three years on another charge.

LISBON — A Conneaut man faces a long prison term after being found guilty of aggravated vehicular homicide and other charges.

John Gamble, an assistant Columbiana County prosecutor, said Friday that Christopher Morris, 31, was driving under the influence at the time of the crash June 16, 2006. A jury returned the verdict late Thursday.

Morris ran away but was taken into custody while he was walking north on state Route 11 in Fairfield Township, where the crash occurred.

Gamble said Morris was working in southern Ohio for a painting company and had stopped at the Jamboree in the Hills, a music festival, while returning to his home. Morris refused to take any alcohol tests.

He was driving a large commercial truck that struck the rear of a van that went off the left side of the route and overturned. His truck also went off the left side of the road.

Samuel A. Macke, 17, of Toledo, was killed. His sister and the driver of the van, Alison F. Macke, then 19, was injured, as were two other passengers, Sarah M. Kinner, then 17, and Zachary Doran, then 19, all of Toledo.

Morris was also treated for injuries.

Gamble described the injuries to the passengers as “horrific.”

Kinner and Doran continue to have great pain from their injuries, and Alison Macke also continues to have some pain, Gamble said.

Sentencing was set for 9 a.m. Jan. 3.

Gamble said that Morris faces up to eight years in prison on the aggravated vehicular homicide charge and up to three years in prison on each of the aggravated vehicular assault charges.

Morris was also convicted of leaving the scene of an accident, which could bring up to six months in the county jail. That sentence would run concurrently with the felony charges.

Morris had two previous convictions in Ashtabula on misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence. Morris could face a lifetime license suspension.