Published: 9/6/2012

Man sentenced to eight years for fatal wrong-way crash

BLADE STAFF

A man who had previously entered a plea for an Oct. 15 wrong-way crash on I-75 was given the maximum sentence of eight years in prison Thursday.

Christopher Jones, 35, of Perrysburg was sentenced in Lucas County Common Pleas Court to five years in prison for aggravated vehicular homicide plus an additional 18 months each on two counts of vehicular assault. Judge Ruth Ann Franks ordered the sentences be served consecutively, giving him the maximum sentence allowed.

Jones had previously pleaded no contest to the three charges and was found guilty of recklessly causing the crash.

Authorities said that the crash occurred in the northbound lanes of I-75 near the Phillips Avenue exit ramp just before 11 p.m. Oct. 15. Jones' vehicle collided with a car traveling north driven by Dawn Lerma.

Ms Lerma and two children in the car - a 15-year-old girl and 14-year-old boy - were hurt seriously. A third child, age 9, was not seriously hurt.

The front-seat passenger, Matthew Davis, 37, Ms. Lerma's fiancé, died within seconds of impact as a result of blunt-force trauma, authorities said.

Jones apologized for the crash, saying that he hoped his sentence would bring some closure to the victims and their families.

Judge Franks said the crash was not an accident but instead reckless conduct.

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