Driver arraigned on several felonies

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

YOUNGSTOWN — The city man accused of causing a car accident that took the life of a 4-year-old child has been arraigned on several felony charges.

Charles George, 40, of Market Street, appeared before Magistrate Anthony Sertick, Youngstown Municipal Court, on Monday for arraignment on charges of child endangering, vehicular homicide and fleeing and eluding. He also pleaded innocent to two probation violations.

George had been charged with failure to comply with an order or signal from a police officer and driving under suspension, but prosecutors dropped those charges before filing the felony charges.

Prosecutors told the court George has had two previous charges of carrying a concealed weapon and a theft charge along with various other arrests.

Mahoning County court records show multiple charges against George, including a 1998 conviction for hit-and-run and a 2007 conviction for driving under suspension, both in the county’s area court in Boardman.

Sertick set bond at $760,000 on all the cases. George told the court he is unemployed and receives only $321 monthly income in disability, so Sertick appointed an attorney to handle the case.

The girl was ejected from a van driven by George when it struck a telephone pole on Mahoning Avenue and flipped over.

The accident occurred near the Western Reserve Transit Authority offices, and police closed a portion of the road for a few hours Friday.

An accident investigator said she believes the van was involved in a hit-and-run crash near Steel Street before the fatal accident. Police said George is believed to have been trying to evade the driver from the first accident, who may have been trying to obtain a license-plate number.