Driver pleads not guilty to charges in traffic death of 3 Marine recruits

WARREN

The Austintown man who drove the tractor trailer cab that rear-ended a car on state Route 5 in Leavittsburg, killing three Marine Corp recruits, pleaded innocent today to three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and three counts of aggravated vehicular assault.

Donald P. Williams Jr., 45, of Bainbridge Avenue, turned himself in at the Trumbull County jail just before his 2 p.m. arraignment in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. He had been secretly indicted last week by a Trumbull County grand jury.

Judge Peter Kontos of common please court set Williams’ bond at $250,000 but said Williams and his attorney, J. Gerald Ingram, will have the opportunity at Williams Wednesday morning pretrial hearing to argue that the bond should be lower.

The three more serious charges filed against Williams could result in a prison term of up to 15 years. The three other charges carry a prison term of up to 4 1/2 years.