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Canadian man charged in July 31 fatal turnpike crash
By ROBERT CONNELLY
YOUNGSTOWN
The case of a Canadian man charged in a fatal Ohio Turnpike crash has been bound over to a Mahoning County grand jury for further consideration.
Officials from the Hiram Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Wednesday that Rahmatkarn Dhillon, 23, was charged for his role in the fatal crash in Austintown on July 31. He was arraigned in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown last week and waived a preliminary hearing, leading to his case being bound over to common pleas court.
Online court records said he is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, a third-degree felony, and aggravated-vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony.
The crash occurred about 2:45 p.m. July 31 on Interstate 76 near the Kirk Road overpass. The trailer of a commercial truck was on fire with another vehicle trapped underneath it. Four other vehicles were either partially in the left or right lanes.
Stacy Gardner, 44 of Massillon, was pronounced dead at the scene. She was a far rear-seat passenger of the vehicle trapped underneath the trailer. Michael Gardner, 45, also of Massillon, was listed in serious condition the day of the crash and survived.
Dhillon was uninjured.
Officials of the Canfield Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Wednesday there still wasn’t a cause determined in the one-vehicle accident on U.S. Route 62 (Shields Road) near Argus Park in Canfield Township where Stephanie Bucci, 21, of Boardman died Aug. 3.
Patrol officials continue to investigate several fatal crashes in the Valley over recent weeks, including the death of Scott Wilson, 56, of Beloit. He was on his motorcycle and was struck from behind by a car on Route 62 in Smith Township and died Aug. 5.