Even as the Ohio
State Highway Patrol continues to investigate the July 6 Clermont
County fatal accident involving three Ohio Division of Wildlife
officers, the vehicle's driver has been charged with two felony
counts of Aggravated Vehicular Homicide.
Charged with the two
counts was Paul M. Chisenhall, 36, of Goshen, Ohio, and following his
release from Cincinnati's University Hospital on July 9.
It is alleged that
Chisenhall attempted to elude Wildlife Division officers after they
had attempted to stop a 2005 Saturn L300 sedan near 1,058-acre
Stonelick State Park in southwest Ohio's Clermont County.
The three Wildlife
Division officers are Jason Keller, who once served as the state
wildlife officer assigned to Lake County but now holds the same
position in Warren County; Eric Lamb, state wildlife officer assigned
to Brown County; and Brian Glodick, a Wildlife Division supervisor.
All three men were placed on paid administrative duty, but returned to full duty - including law enforcement - July 14, said Ohio Department of Natural Resources' Wildlife Division chief Scott Zody.
The Highway Patrol says the incident began about 7:20 p.m., July 6 – a Sunday. Its official statement says the preliminary and initial investigation reveals that the Saturn “... fled southbound on State Route 727.
“The vehicle crested a hill and the driver lost control. The vehicle traveled off the left side of the road where it struck an embankment and some trees. The vehicle continued across and off the right side of the roadway.”
Besides the driver, Chisenhall, the Saturn's other occupants were Christina M. Singleton, 31, of Newport, KY; Jason C. Wright, 31, of Martinsville, Ohio; and Charles W. McMullen, 34, of Williamsburg, Ohio.
Other known details were that Wright
was a rear seat occupant and who was not waring a seat belt while
McMullen also was the second rear seat passenger but who was wearing
a seat belt restraint at the time of the accident.
Following the accident the three
Wildlife Division officers began administering first aid.
However, both men were pronounced dead
at the scene with Wright also having been ejected from the vehicle.
For her part, Singleton was the front
seat occupant next to Chisenhall and who also was wearing the seat
belt/shoulder restraint harness, the Highway Patrol's preliminary
investigation report says.
Singleton sustained serious injuries
and were life-flighted to University Hospital.
Meanwhile, Chisenhall was transported
from the scene by the local township EMS and then life-flighted to
University Hospital as well.
As mentioned, following his discharge
from University Hospital Chisenhall was taken to the Clermont County
Jail where he was then charged with the two F1 felony counts, done so
because Chisenhall was driving while under suspension of his driving
privileges, said Lt. Wayne Price, commander of the Ohio State Highway
Patrol's Clermont County Post.
Based on the Ohio Criminal Sentencing
Commission's latest “Quick Reference Guide,” a F1 felony carries
a prison term of up to 11 years, a fine of up to $20,000, or both,
and for each count.
Also, one local news account says
Chisenhall was found guilty of driving while under the influence of
alcohol/drugs in 2002 and again in 2005.
As for the Natural Resources' update, an exhaustive internal review of
the incident occurred. That review included that Keller “observed a
group of individuals consuming what appeared to be alcoholic
beverages and acting disorderly,” said Bethany McCorkle, the agency's chief of communications.
Keller then requested assistance as he
also observed what he concluded was littering and entering the Saturn
“with what appeared to be open containers of alcohol,” the
Natural Resources Department said.
Uniformed then made an attempt to stop
the Saturn which sped “...away at a high rate of speed.”
When the officers followed the vehicle
and crested a hill the state wildlife personnel saw that the Saturn
had already crashed, the Natural Resources Department also says.
These officers then administered first
aid until the township EMS arrived.
Following departmental policy to
ensure that protocols and policies were followed correctly, the three
Wildlife Division were placed on paid administrative.
“The three officers that were
involved in the incident in Clermont County have been returned to
full duty as of this morning (Monday, July 14),” McCorkle said.
Jeffrey L. Frischkorn
Jeff is the retired News-Herald reporter who covered the earth sciences, the area's three county park systems and the outdoors for the newspaper. During his 30 years with The News-Herald Jeff was the recipient of more than 100 state, regional and national journalism awards. He also is a columnist and features writer for the Ohio Outdoor News, which is published every other week and details the outdoors happenings in the state.
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