Man could get prison time for road rage

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

The man will be officially sentenced in August.

YOUNGSTOWN — A truck driver will be sentenced in August for running three people in a van off the road with his tractor-trailer after a disagreement at a local strip club.

Fadil Galesic, 32, of Texas, entered into a plea agreement Friday amending three counts of felonious assault to three counts of aggravated assault.

The felonious-assault charges carried sentences of probation to eight years on each count. The amended charges of aggravated assault carry penalties of probation to 18 months on each count.

Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court explained to Galesic that upon his sentencing in August, he could face up to 4 1‚Ñ2 years in prison and fines of up to $15,000 on the charges.

Prosecutors are recommending Galesic not receive prison time if he makes restitution to the victims.

Galesic, who is not a U.S. citizen, also could face deportation. He will remain free on $50,000 bond until his sentencing.

J. Michael Thompson, an assistant county prosecutor, said Galesic was attending an Austintown strip club April 5 when he got into a disagreement with some other patrons.

Galesic’s attorney Michael Kivlighan told the judge the disagreement appears to have started when someone made disparaging remarks about the club’s dancers.

Thompson said Galesic left the club around the same time as the other patrons, got into his truck and rammed their van, causing the vehicle to run off the road. Galesic, who was said to be intoxicated, tried to drive off but was later captured and held by the people he ran off the road.

Judge Krichbaum did not appear happy about the amended charges in the case.

“This sounds like a pretty darn serious situation, and I don’t know that I approve of this agreement,” he said.

Judge Krichbaum did ultimately accept the plea agreement and amended charges, but inquired as to any injuries to the victims before doing so.

The court was told the victims were not injured, but want to be reimbursed for their damaged vehicle.

Kivlighan said the amended charges were the right move in light of the circumstances, and that his client did not use a weapon in the assault.

“It wasn’t as if he used his semi-truck as a weapon to go after these people. He just wanted to continue to fight,” he said.

Thompson said a standing conviction and restitution will be sufficient punishment from the prosecutor’s standpoint. If there had been injuries, he said, the situation would be different.

“This is essentially a road-rage incident gone bad,” he said. “He needs to be a convicted felon and pay the consequences of this. I think this is a good way to do that.”

jgoodwin@vindy.com