Calvin Barger

BROOKFIELD — Calvin Barger, the Vernon man charged in Sunday’s fatal accident in his driveway involving his 17-month-old granddaughter, was arraigned this morning in Eastern District Court.

Barger, 55, of 7045 Milligan East Road, pleaded not guilty to the OVI charge and did not enter a plea for the aggravated vehicular homicide felony.

Judge Marty Nosich set bond at $75,000.

If he makes bond, Barger would be under electronic monitoring.

A preliminary hearing is set for 10 a.m. Thursday.

THIS AN UPDATE. HERE IS THE REST OF THE STORY THAT APPEARED IN THIS MORNING’S PRINT EDITION:

The child, 17-month-old Kaleeha S. Queen of 2130 Oak St., Warren, died about 2:40 a.m. Monday at Akron Children’s Hospital where she had been transferred by helicopter from St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital’s trauma center.

According to the Trumbull County sheriff’s Chief Deputy Joseph Dragovich, the toddler was staying with her grandparents at the Milligan East Road residence for the weekend.

“It was the perfect storm of tragedies,” Dragovich said while going over the report of the accident on Monday.

Barger was cooperative with authorities, Dragovich said, submitting to a portable blood-alcohol test at the scene and other examinations at the Brookfield police station.

According to a sheriff’s report, Barger registered a .094 blood-alcohol content after a chemical breath test, which is above the .08 legal limit.

Deputies who interviewed Barger at the scene said he had bloodshot eyes and an alcohol odor on his breath. Barger told deputies he had four beers about one hour prior to the accident. When asked what happened, Barger told deputies he was taking his brother Danny home and was driving down the driveway when his brother shouted: “You just ran over the baby.”

Barger’s brother told deputies when Barger tried to pull the truck forward in the driveway, the toddler ran out in front of the truck from behind a parked car.

Dragovich said witness accounts said several people were at the home to work on a project and the toddler was last seen playing at a side yard swing set.

Barger said he and his brother had been installing flooring at the home throughout the day. After eating dinner, Calvin Barger got into his truck to take his brother home. He explained the truck was backed into a turnaround outside the home, and he pulled it straight out. Barger said he did not see his granddaughter in the driveway prior to getting into his truck. He said he believed he moved the truck about five feet before his brother yelled that he hit the baby.

Reports state Barger picked up his granddaughter and held her trying to comfort her until an ambulance arrived.

A frantic 911 call lasting about 11 minutes was placed by a woman, who was later identified as the grandmother, Tami Barger. She reported to a dispatcher the girl was barely breathing and bleeding from the nose. According to the 911 call log, the woman relayed that it was believed the girl was struck by the bumper of a pickup truck, listed on reports as a 2013 Dodge Ram truck.

The toddler’s parents, Joe and Kayla Queen of Warren, said they commonly brought their child so that the grandmother, Tami Barger, could watch her. Reports state the toddler had been at the Vernon home since Friday.