State medical board to consider disciplinary action against Dr. Yurich

Staff report

COLUMBUS

The State Medical Board of Ohio will review the license of Dr. Joseph Yurich, a Poland resident convicted of vehicular homicide earlier this year for his role in a fatal Berlin Reservoir boat crash in 2015 that left one man dead and another man injured.

The board notified Yurich it intends to determine whether to take disciplinary action, which could include revocation or suspension of his license and a fine of up to $20,000.

Yurich has until Dec. 9 to request a hearing before the medical board.

The board would make a decision after the potential hearing.

In July, Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court sentenced Yurich to 10 days in jail after ruling his negligence led to the death of Neal Cuppett, 58, of Akron.

Yurich’s boat struck a fishing boat carrying Cuppett and a friend on board, and Yurich left the scene of the accident.

A county grand jury indicted him on a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, but prosecutors were unable to convince the judge Yurich was intoxicated at the time of the crash.

Judge Durkin’s sentence included 90 days house arrest and 200 hours of community service, which included providing medical services to those in need, along with five years’ probation.

Yurich also settled a civil suit with Cuppett’s family. A civil suit filed by Bruce Lindamood, who was on the boat with Cuppett and sustained injuries in the crash, remains open.