Millersburg Case Study

MILLERSBURG — For being impaired and causing a July crash that caused another man to be hospitalized for more than a week, a Millersburg man on Thursday was sentenced to 14 months in prison.
Lesley L. Summers, 38, 6970 Township Road 319, previously pleaded guilty in Holmes County Common Pleas Court to vehicular assault and operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. In exchange for his guilty plea, related charges of aggravated vehicular assault and passing in an intersection were dismissed.
On Summers' behalf, attorney Michael Boeske said his client is remorseful and realizes the seriousness of the incident. He called the crash a “very unfortunate accident” and asked for a non-prison sanction.
Summers said he was sorry for causing the accident, adding, “I didn't mean no harm.”
“You say it was an accident, I say you were driving drunk. There's a

Statistics show the average person drives drunk (80) times before they get pulled over for DUI. You've got three. If that's the case, you did it (240) times, probably more,” said Rinfret.
The other driver involved in the crash was hospitalized for nearly a week, during which time he was in an induced coma for a period because of swelling on the brain, according to victim advocate Andy Zedella.
“We're very fortunate someone's not dead,” said Rinfret, who imposed the prison term, as well as a six-month jail sentence, to be served concurrently. He ordered Summers to pay $2,000 in fines, as well as court costs, and suspended Summers' driver's license for five years.
“Mr. Summers, you're going to prison,” said Rinfret, encouraging Summers' to take advantage of all possible programs in the institution. Then, he said, he would consider granting him early release to a treatment program at Stark Regional Community Correction Center.
“You have a problem. Someone was hurt. You call it an accident. I call it you got behind the wheel of a car and someone almost died,” said