Leesburg woman sentenced to 6 years in aggravated vehicular assault case
A Leesburg woman was sentenced Tuesday to six years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of aggravated vehicular assault.
As previously reported, Christina Cassady, 34, was indicted by a Highland County grand jury in September and charged with two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, both second-degree felonies; operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them, a first-degree misdemeanor; and grand theft of a motor vehicle, a fourth-degree felony.
The indictment alleged that on or about March 25, Cassady “did cause serious physical harm” to two separate victims while “operating or participating in the operation of” a truck. She pleaded guilty to the vehicular assault charges in November, with the remaining charges dismissed, according to court records.
During the sentencing hearing Dec. 5 in Highland County Common Pleas Court, Highland County Assistant Prosecutor Adam King asked Judge Rocky Coss to impose an eight-year sentence, with four years on each count.
“This is a case where the defendant stole a vehicle, proceeded to drive that vehicle through a fence, entered the roadway, and as soon as she entered the roadway, she went left of center and struck a [vehicle] head on,” King told the judge. “The defendant, at the time of the crash, was under the influence of alcohol and also had a suspended driver’s license.”
As a result of the crash, the driver of the other vehicle suffered “multiple rib fractures,” and the passenger in the other vehicle suffered multiple broken bones, including a broken neck, according to King.
The passenger addressed the judge, reading a statement that said the injuries sustained by the driver and passenger in the accident led to “hundreds of thousands in financial dollars, emotional injury and physical harm that [they] will never totally recover from.” However, the passenger also asked the judge to help Cassady become “a productive member of society” through her prison sentence.
“I would like you to consider full rehabilitation opportunities for her in the facility [Cassady] will be in, to help her become a productive person in society,” the passenger said.
Cassady’s attorney, Bill Armintrout, said that Cassady “has taken full responsibility” for the accident and that the incident was “the culmination of a horrible set of events,” including “long-term alcoholism.” He said Cassady did not have “much to speak of” as far as a prior criminal record and that she voluntarily entered a treatment facility.
“This is not a plea for probation, because it’s not a probational offense,” Armintrout said. “She is going to prison. The question is how long will the court do that?
“There is a minimum of two years, which is what I’m asking the court to impose here.”
Cassady was the final individual to address the court, as she apologized to the victim and the victim’s family.
“I’m all-around sorry for everything,” she told the judge.
After hearing from all parties, Judge Coss ordered Cassady to serve two separate three-year prison terms, which are to be served consecutively due to “two separate victims,” for a total of six years in prison. Under the Reagan Tokes Law, the sentence could be up to seven and a half years in prison.
“These injuries were very significant, very extensive and unfortunately life-changing for your victims,” Coss told Cassady.
Cassady had 83 days of jail time credit. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $682.92 to the passenger.
Cassady’s driver’s license will be suspended for 10 years.