Ohio man guilty in fatal 5-vehicle, drunk-driving crash

7/17/2014

A Rome, Ohio, man’s blood-alcohol level was three times the legal limit when he slammed into the back of a stopped car Feb. 14, killing the driver, prosecutors said Wednesday.

Brian Rosenburg, 22, pleaded no contest to aggravated vehicular homicide for the five-vehicle crash that killed Judith Crawford, 47, of Toledo. Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gary Cook found him guilty of the charge and scheduled sentencing for Aug. 27.

Rosenburg faces up to eight years in prison and a lifetime driver’s license suspension.

Ian English, an assistant Lucas County prosecutor, told the court that Rosenburg was northbound on Byrne Road traveling between 80 and 100 mph just before the crash. Information from his sport utility vehicle’s data recorder indicated that he was traveling 89 mph just two seconds before striking the rear of Ms. Crawford’s car, which was stopped at a red light on Byrne at Dorr Street. His SUV also hit a pickup.

Ms. Crawford’s car was forced into the back of a SUV, which was then pushed into the intersection, striking another car, prosecutors said.

Mr. English said a blood plasma test taken at Toledo Hospital immediately after the crash showed Rosenburg’s blood-alcohol level at 0.28, while a whole blood test put his level at 0.24 — both well in excess of Ohio’s legal driving limit of 0.08