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Licking County Judge David Branstool found Jacob McDonald, of
Zanesville, guilty on six misdemeanor counts of vehicular
homicide, but ruled that he was not guilty of aggravated
vehicular homicide, a felony.
The judge said McDonald's actions in causing the crash were
negligent but not reckless. McDonald could have faced three
decades in prison if he had been convicted on all of the more
serious charges, but instead he now faces a maximum sentence of
18 months, according to his attorney.
Some family members of the victims left the court before the
judge finished announcing the verdict.
Prosecutors said McDonald was speeding and failed to brake for
slowing traffic on Interstate 70 because he was looking at his
phone.
His defense attorney, Chris Brigdon, disputed that, saying that
the cellular data cited by investigators did not clearly show
what was happening before the crash. Brigdon said after the
verdict was announced that McDonald was still devastated by the
crash because he knows he caused it.
According to investigators, McDonald’s truck hit an SUV and
pushed it into the bus, which was carrying students from the
Tuscarawas Valley Local School District in eastern Ohio. Some of
the vehicles caught fire.
Five vehicles were involved in the crash in Licking County, east
of Columbus. The bus was carrying the students to an Ohio School
Boards Association conference in Columbus.
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