Man sentenced to over 5 years for crashing truck into house, killing girl, 8

7/7/2006

TIFFIN - A Bellevue, Ohio, man was sentenced to five years, three months in prison for crashing his pickup through a Melmore, Ohio, home in November, killing an 8-year-old girl and injuring her parents.

Max J. Didion, 22, was sentenced yesterday in Seneca County Common Pleas Court by Judge Steve Shuff to serve four years for the death of Richelle Dible and injuries to her father, Richard Dible, and an additional 15 months for injuries suffered by the girl's mother, Christina Wollett, according to Seneca County Prosecutor Ken Egbert, Jr.

Didion's driver's license also was suspended for five years and he was ordered to pay $162,000 in restitution, Mr. Egbert said.

Didion was found guilty in May of aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of vehicular assault after a six-day jury trial.

He lost control of his pickup truck about 3:30 a.m. Nov. 13 and crashed through the home off State Rt. 67 where the family was sleeping in a first-floor bedroom.

He is being held in the Seneca County jail and will be taken to the Lorain Correctional Institution in Grafton, Ohio, to serve his sentence, Mr. Egbert said.