OSHP looks at reopening Hughes’ OVI case

Staff report

Austintown

The Ohio State Highway Patrol is trying to determine if it can reopen an OVI case against the son of former Youngstown Police Chief Jimmy Hughes.

Jared Hughes of Youngstown was scheduled for trial Wednesday in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown on drunken-driving and speeding charges, but the state trooper who ticketed him May 29 didn’t show up for court.

Lt. Chris Heverly of the OSHP said the department will open an investigation to determine why the ticketing officer failed to appear in court Nov. 2.

The charges were dropped as a result, on the grounds of insufficient evidence to support the case, according to court records.

Sgt. Tim Timberlake of the OSHP said it’s not often that a trooper misses a court appearance.

“It’s rare for it to happen, but on occasion, some surrounding circumstance might make that happen,” he said. “We are investigating what happened in this specific instance.”

Heverly said Hughes’ case is closed, but he is talking with the Mahoning County Prosecutor’s Office to determine if it can be reopened.

“We’ll know in the next week as to what we’ll do with the case,” he said. “According to Austintown Court, right now, it’s closed.”

Hughes was stopped May 29 for driving 54 miles per hour in a 35- mph zone on Mahoning Avenue near Raccoon Road.

The trooper cited Hughes for excessive speed and operating a vehicle while under the influence. His blood alcohol content was 0.166, Heverly said.

Hughes has two prior speeding violations — one in Austintown and one in Boardman — dating back to 2010, according to court dockets.