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Blood tests show alcohol and drugs in the blood of man accused of killing Cortland jogger
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Russell G. Lauer III of Cortland had alcohol and Oxycodone in his blood after a crash that investigators say occurred because Lauer’s car drove several feet off of Ridge Road in February, killing jogger Brittany Szwedko, 27, of Cortland.
Because the test results could play a role in Lauer’s criminal case, prosecutors and Lauer’s attorney plan to employ toxicology experts. His trial is scheduled for Sept. 26.
Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court approved a request Monday to allow Atty. Brendan Keating, who represents Lauer, 43, to hire a consulting toxicology expert.
Keating said the expert will not necessarily testify at trial, but he or she will be asked to interpret toxicology results reported by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Keating needed to ask the court’s permission to hire the expert because Lauer is indigent, meaning the state is paying for his defense.
The toxicology results were reported by the patrol in a copy of the accident report obtained by The Vindicator.
The results say Lauer had a blood-alcohol reading of 0.077 and a concentration of Oxycodone in his blood of 51.60 ng/ml when he was tested.
Lauer’s blood-alcohol level is just below the 0.08 limit for intoxication under Ohio law. And prosecutors have said amount of Oxycontin Lauer had was above the legal level for that drug, Keating said.
Lauer is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, leaving the scene of an accident and a driving-lane violation in the Feb. 27 accident on Ridge Road in Fowler Township that killed Szwedko.
Szwedko was a jogger who was training for a half marathon at the time she was hit. She died three days later. A witness said she appeared to be walking at the time of the accident but was several feet off the road.
Toxicology results showed that Szwedko had no alcohol or drugs in her blood.
A reconstruction sketch indicates that Szwedko was off the edge of the road when she was hit at around noon. The vehicle left the roadway for about 100 feet before returning to the pavement and continuing without stopping, the patrol said.
Three people in a minivan were traveling behind Lauer’s vehicle and watched him weaving several times before hitting Szwedko, the patrol said.
After seeing the accident, Ricky L. Bryant Jr., his wife and daughter stopped for a short time to flag down help for Szwedko, then followed Lauer’s vehicle, boxing it in at an intersection.
Bryant confronted Lauer, ordering him to turn off the car and give Bryant the keys, but Lauer wasn’t cooperative. Bryant punched Lauer four times in the face before he was able to stop Lauer from trying to leave, the patrol said. Lauer’s face was bloody when police arrived, and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.
Lauer admitted drinking one alcoholic beverage that day and said he was using several prescription medications. He was slurring his speech and falling asleep while being interviewed by investigators, the patrol said.