Ohio man gets 7 years for slamming, killing driver in intoxicated crash

Rosenburg

The Blade/Amy E. Voigt
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Brian Rosenburg, 22, right, with his attorney George Gerken, left, stand before Judge Gary Cook during sentencing for aggravated vehicular homicide.

Rosenburg

A Rome, Ohio man who was intoxicated and speeding when he slammed into the back of a stopped car, killing the driver, was sentenced today to seven years in prison.

Brian Rosenburg, 22, pleaded no contest last month to aggravated vehicular homicide for the Feb. 14 crash that killed Judith Crawford, 47, of Toledo.

In addition to the prison sentence, Lucas County Common Pleas Judge Gary Cook suspended Rosenburg’s driver’s license for life and ordered him to pay $30,000 in restitution for the victim's medical and funeral expenses.

"For your entire life a message has been in front of you that you cannot drink and you cannot drive an automobile because if you do so, things like this happen -- the tremendous loss of life," Judge Cook told him.

While defense attorney George Gerken pointed out that Rosenburg had a minimal prior record, the judge said a disorderly conduct/public intoxication charge Rosenburg had received should have been "a warning sign about the abuse of substances, the abuse of alcohol, and what's to come in the future."

Rosenburg was northbound on Byrne Road traveling between 80 and 100 mph just before crashing into 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, and Ms. Crawford’s car was pushed into the back of a SUV.

A blood plasma test performed at Toledo Hospital immediately after the crash showed Rosenburg’s blood-alcohol level at 0.28 – more than three times Ohio’s legal driving limit of 0.08.

-- Jennifer Feehan