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Arizona man indicted in fatal Interstate-80 crash in Hubbard Township
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
A Glendale, Ariz., man is indicted on a misdemeanor vehicular homicide charge after a Sept. 3 crash on Interstate 80 in Hubbard Township that killed a passenger.
If convicted, Saint A. Adeogba, 46, could get up to six months in jail.
A Trumbull County grand jury declined to indict him Wednesday on the more serious charge of felony aggravated vehicular homicide and also did not indict him on charges of operating a motor vehicle impaired and operating a commercial vehicle impaired.
Testing of Adeogba’s blood was negative for alcohol, but positive for marijuana metabolite. Testing of his urine also showed he was positive for marijuana metabolite.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol, which investigated, said the crash killed a woman in the truck’s sleeper berth, Michelle L. Morones, 38, of Puyallup, Wash. She died at the scene, which was near the Pennsylvania state line.
The patrol said Adeogba was traveling east in a 2005 Freightliner tractor trailer when he lost control and went off the south side of the roadway, striking several trees and a ditch before jackknifing. The semi overturned. Adeogba was not injured.
“Personal” amounts of marijuana were found in the passenger compartment, and multiple bottles and cans of beer, wine and hard liquor were found.
Adeogba said the marijuana was his, and the alcohol belonged to Morones. Adeogba told troopers he wasn’t tired and didn’t know what caused the accident. He had been driving commercial trucks since 1998.
The case will return to Girard Municipal Court because Adeogba’s remaining charge is a misdemeanor.
A call to Mike Burnett, assistant county prosecutor, who handles most crash fatalities, was not returned Wednesday.
Also indicted was Jeremy A. Lovett, 34, of Miller South Road in Bristolville, on nine charges related to a June 21 Mecca Township traffic stop.
The Trumbull County Sheriff’s Office said two deputies and a sergeant were parked at Maplewood Elementary on state Route 88 at 9:23 p.m. when they saw Lovett at a nearby ice cream shop. Lovett and two females walked back to their vehicle.
There was a warrant for Lovett’s arrest, so officers made a traffic stop on state Route 193 at Route 88.
Police found suspected drugs in Lovett’s pants pocket and $967 in cash in his wallet.
Lovett is indicted on charges of cocaine and heroin possession, cocaine and heroin trafficking, two counts of aggravated drug possession and trafficking, drug possession and conveyance of drugs into a jail.