Woman who injured Austintown cop gets early release from prison

YOUNGSTOWN — A Girard woman sent to prison for severely injuring a police officer after slamming her car into the rear of a police cruiser while driving drunk is now a free woman.

Adrien Foutz, 24, of Iowa Avenue, appeared today before Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court requesting an early release from prison. She still had little more than four months of a two-year sentence to serve.

Foutz pleaded no-contest to aggravated vehicular assault in June 2008. Judge Durkin found her guilty.

Jennifer McLlaughlin, an assistant county prosecutor, told the court that prosecutors previously had agreed not to oppose early release for Foutz after she had served 18 months of her sentence.

Patrolman Ross Linert, injured in the crash, chose not to attend the hearing, but did submit a letter to the court. The letter was not read in open court, but Linert, at the time of sentencing, did not oppose Foutz’ release after 18 months.

For the complete story, see Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com