Wife of man killed in boating hit-and-run speaks at Dr. Yurich sentencing

YOUNGSTOWN — In the time after her husband died, Jennie Cuppett said she drove home struggling to see the road through tears and contemplated driving into oncoming traffic.

Her husband, Neal Cuppett, 58, of Akron, died in a fatal Berlin Reservoir boat crash in 2015.

Dr. Joseph Yurich, 38, of Poland, was convicted of vehicular homicide and failure to stop after an accident for striking the boat Cuppett and his friend Bruce Lindamood were on board shortly after midnight on May 9 of that year.

“I hope [Neal Cuppett]’s death haunts Joe for the rest of his life,” Jennie Cuppett said at Dr. Yurich’s sentencing hearing Wednesday.

Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentenced Dr. Yurich to 180 days in the county jail for both first-degree misdemeanors he was convicted of with all but 10 days suspended.

Dr. Yurich will also serve 90 days of house arrest, five years of probation and perform 200 hours of community service providing medical services to those at the Rescue Mission of Mahoning Valley.

In addition, he is required to take a watercraft safety course, and his driver’s license will be suspended for one year with work privileges after 45 days.

Read more about the sentencing in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.