Van driver in firefighter's deadly crash expected to be charged

ASHTABULA

The driver of the van that collided with a motorcycle driven by Youngstown Fire Department Battalion Chief Ronald Russo will be charged with vehicular manslaughter and failure to yield.

Josephine Palmer, 48, of Northfield, will be arraigned on the charges at 9:30 a.m. Nov. 8 in Ashtabula Municipal Court. The vehicular-manslaughter charge is a first-degree misdemeanor.

Russo, 64, of Poland, was riding a motorcycle when it struck a van at the intersection of state Route 45 and North Bend Road in Saybrook Township at 12:51 p.m. Oct. 20. Russo was riding with his brother Bob at the time he was fatally injured.

Lt. Bret Henderson, commander of the Ashtabula post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol, said it appears Palmer was behind a few vehicles at a stop sign at the intersection. For whatever reason, she was not paying attention when it was her turn to go through the intersection and did not come to a complete stop before going through, he said.

Henderson also said Palmer was not speeding at the time of the crash.

Henderson said there was no evidence to show Palmer may have been using a cellphone at the time of the accident.

Read more about the matter in Wednesday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.