Lauer arraigned in jogger's death; remains in jail

WARREN — Russell Lauer III, 43, of Cortland was arraigned this morning in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court on charges related to the hit and run death of a young jogger.

Judge Peter Kontos continued Lauer's previous $215,000 bond and accepted his not-guilty plea.

The judge set another pretrial hearing for May 16 and a trial date of Sept. 26.

Lauer, of state Route 5, is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, drunken driving and a driving-lanes violation in the death of Brittany Szwedko, 27, of Cortland.

She died after being struck as she jogged on Ridge Road in Fowler Township Feb. 27.

Witnesses followed the car that hit her until catching up to Lauer at Ridge Road and Bradley Brownlee Road, where he was taken into custody by Fowler Township police.

The witnesses said Szwedko, a public-relations employee of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, was off the road when she was struck, and Lauer’s car was “swerving and leaving the roadway” before it struck her.

If convicted, Lauer could get about 10 years in prison.