City man pleads guilty in vehicular-homicide case

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

YOUNGSTOWN — A city man has pleaded guilty to charges related to a two-car accident that claimed the life of a Howland man earlier this year.

Scott Johnson, 37, of Ascot Court, pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of vehicular homicide and one count of aggravated-vehicular homicide before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Both charges are third-degree felonies.

Prosecutors, in the plea agreement, have recommended Johnson serve some jail time but were not specific as to how much. Judges are not bound to comply with prosecutor recommendations on sentencing.

Johnson faces up to five years in prison on each charge. He also may be ordered to pay fines of up to $10,000 on each charge and lose his driving privileges possibly for life.

Judge Krichbaum will sentence Johnson at 9 a.m. Jan. 21.

Johnson initially was charged with aggravated-vehicular homicide, aggravated-vehicular assault, driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under license suspension. In the original set of charges, the aggravated-vehicular homicide was a third-degree felony because of the driving under the influence charge.

Johnson, had he been convicted of all the original charges, faced up to 18 years in prison.

Johnson was driving on Robinson Road in Campbell about 12:30 p.m. July 11 when he hit another vehicle, traveled the wrong way down a one-way street and ultimately crashed into the side of a business on Robinson.

Johnson’s front-seat passenger, Robert L. Killing Jr., 52, of Henn-Hyde Road, Howland, was killed.

Johnson and his rear-seat passenger, Craig J. Davis, 24, of North Salem-Warren Road, North Jackson, were injured and taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Johnson refused a drug and alcohol test at the hospital, police said.

Witnesses told police Johnson was speeding west on Robinson when the car he was driving hit a car that had stopped to turn at Robinson and 12th Street. The driver of that car was not hurt.

jgoodwin@vindy.com