MOUNT VERNON – The Office of the Mount Vernon Director of Law announced that on February 9, 2017 a jury in the Mount Vernon Municipal Court convicted Mark A. Eddy of Mount Vernon, Ohio of a single count failure to stop after an accident on a public road. The charge arose out of an incident that occurred on December 5, 2016 when Mr. Eddy rear-ended a driving school car at the intersection of State Route 299 and Springwater Drive in Knox County, Ohio. After the accident occurred, Mr. Eddy fled the scene without exchanging information with the other driver and was later located by Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Daniel Trautman, Jr.
Assistant Director of Law Brittany Whitney tried the case to the jury. She presented testimony from Brook Miller, Lincoln Rainer, Trooper Trautman, Kimberly Harris, and Karen Parker. The jury deliberated for less than an hour before returning the guilty verdict. Judge John C. Thatcher sentenced Mr. Eddy to pay a fine of $300 plus court costs, serve 180 days in jail with 177 days suspended, placed him on 2 years of reporting probation on the conditions that he have no similar offenses while on probation, that he pay $100 per month on his fines and costs, and that his driver’s license be suspended for 180 days.
Judge Thatcher also found Mr. Eddy guilty of failing to maintain an assured clear distance ahead and fined him $100 plus court costs.
Mr. Eddy was represented by Attorney Kristie Campbell from the office of Strip, Hoppers, Leithart, McGrath & Terlecky Co., LPA from Columbus, Ohio.