Patrol believes driver fell asleep, vehicle killed woman

Patrol believes driver fell asleep, vehicle killed woman

HOWLAND

The Ohio State Highway Patrol has released the name of the driver of a car they believe struck and killed a 55-year-old Howland woman Sunday night on King-Graves Road.

Patrick Niess, 20, of Warren, is believed to have fallen asleep at the wheel of his 1997 Nissan Pathfinder while westbound at 9:52 p.m. His car is believed to have gone into the ditch on the north side of the road.

The next morning, police found the body of Antoinette Ross, 55, of Howland in the same area where the Niess vehicle entered the ditch.

“We are certain that Mr. Niess did not realize that he struck Mrs. Ross,” Lt. Brian Holt, commander of the patrol’s Southington Post said in a news release. “Mr. Niess was not under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at the time of the initial investigation.”

The patrol is still awaiting results of forensic testing to determine whether the Niess vehicle struck Ross. If the results show he hit her, the investigation will be turned over the Trumbull County prosecutor for possible criminal charges, Holt said.