State v. Brady

2014 Ohio 5721
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 26, 2014
Docket13-MA-88
StatusPublished
Cited by9 cases

This text of 2014 Ohio 5721 (State v. Brady) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Brady, 2014 Ohio 5721 (Ohio Ct. App. 2014).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Brady, 2014-Ohio-5721.] STATE OF OHIO, MAHONING COUNTY IN THE COURT OF APPEALS SEVENTH DISTRICT

STATE OF OHIO, ) ) PLAINTIFF-APPELLEE, ) ) CASE NO. 13 MA 88 V. ) ) OPINION ERIC BRADY, ) ) DEFENDANT-APPELLANT. )

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDINGS: Criminal Appeal from Court of Common Pleas of Mahoning County, Ohio Case No. 2010CR851

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

APPEARANCES: For Plaintiff-Appellee Paul Gains Prosecutor Ralph M. Rivera Assistant Prosecutor 21 W. Boardman St., 6th Floor Youngstown, Ohio 44503

For Defendant-Appellant Attorney Rhys B. Cartwright-Jones 42 N. Phelps St. Youngstown, Ohio 44503-1130

JUDGES:

Hon. Gene Donofrio Hon. Joseph J. Vukovich Hon. Mary DeGenaro

Dated: December 26, 2014 [Cite as State v. Brady, 2014-Ohio-5721.] DONOFRIO, J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant Eric Brady appeals from his conviction entered in the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for one count of vehicular homicide following a jury trial. He contends his conviction was not supported by sufficient evidence and was against the manifest weight of the evidence, and that the trial court erred in allowing into evidence a scientifically unreliable conclusion as to the speed, direction of travel, and cause of impact. {¶2} On January 18, 2009, shortly after 7:00 a.m., Terrance Grey heard a loud crash while drinking coffee in his home. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 218.) Grey looked out his window and observed that two vehicles had been involved in a traffic accident on Meridian Road in Youngstown, Ohio. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 217-219.) The two vehicles were a green Ford Explorer and a tan Pontiac Sunfire. Grey then called 911. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 220.) Grey testified that he observed Brady walking around near the accident. He saw Brady walk over to the vehicle, look inside and then return to his vehicle where it appeared as if he was looking for something in the backseat. (Trial Tr. Vol. II, 221.) Grey described Brady as “walking around like he was dazed and probably confused or something.” (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 222.) {¶3} Christopher Burton heading northbound on Meridian Road towards Mahoning Avenue stopped at the scene when he came across the accident. (Trial Tr. Vol. II, 232.) When asked about the conditions of the road, Burton stated, “I drive a four-wheel drive, and I know I was coming off the road, off of my street, and seen that it had just snowed because there was no track marks on Meridian when I came down.” (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 237-238.) When he arrived, he observed Brady talking to another person in a white pickup truck. The driver of the white pickup truck is now deceased and was unable to testify on what was exchanged between himself and Brady. {¶4} Burton described Brady as “upset, frantic * * * [h]is arms were going.” (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 245.) Burton then saw Brady walk across the street over to the parking lot of B & R Wholesale Tires. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 234.) Meanwhile, Burton -2-

noticed that the driver of the other vehicle was still inside her automobile. (Trial Tr. Vol. II, 235.) {¶5} At this time, Youngstown Police had arrived at the scene. Youngstown Officer Daniel Mikus was the first to respond to the accident. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 250.) Mikus described the conditions as “extremely hazardous that day” due to the heavy snowfall that morning. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 251.) Mikus stated that he was unable to drive the posted speed limit of 35 m.p.h because of the snowfall. (Trial Tr., Vol II, 251.) When Mikus approached the tan Pontiac Sunfire, he observed that the driver was deceased. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 252.) {¶6} At this time, Officer Mikus observed footprints in the snow in the direction of B & R Wholesale Tire. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 255.) When Mikus followed the footprints, he found Brady lying on the ground behind a dumpster. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 256.) {¶7} Also responding to the scene that morning was Youngstown Lieutenant William Ross. Lieutenant Ross also testified that he found Brady lying behind a dumpster near B & R Wholesale Tires. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 333.) Brady claimed that he was looking for his son, who he believed was in the vehicle with him. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 333-334.) At this time, Brady admitted to driving the Ford Explorer that had been involved in the crash. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 334.) Ross testified that no child was found at the scene that morning. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 334.) {¶8} Shortly before 8:00 a.m. that morning, Youngstown Officer Brian Booksing, assigned to the accident investigation unit, responded to the accident. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 266-269.) Booksing observed that the Sunfire sustained “excessive damage” to the driver’s side, and the Ford Explorer sustained “significant damage” to the driver’s side. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 276.) Booksing described the road conditions as “snowy, slush covered roadways with ice in patches.” (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 284.) {¶9} Upon observing the evidence at the scene, Booksing concluded that the Sunfire was traveling northbound in the curb lane, and the Ford Explorer was traveling southbound. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 290-291.) While traveling southbound, the -3-

Ford Explorer “had come left of center, crossing the one northbound lane and striking the Pontiac Sunfire in its own travel lane.” (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 290-291.) {¶10} While conducting an investigation into the accident, Booksing measured the tread depth on all four tires of Brady’s Ford Explorer. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 296.) Officer Booksing testified a new tire measured four thirty-seconds of an inch. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 299.) The tire treads of Brady’s Ford Explorer, measured zero thirty- seconds and one thirty-seconds of an inch. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 299.) The tire tread on the Brady’s Ford Explorer was described by Booksing as “unsafe.” (Trial Tr. Vol., Vol. II, 310). {¶11} When Booksing spoke to Brady about the accident a few days later, Brady claimed that he did not remember any of the events that took place that day. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 294.) {¶12} Also assigned to investigate the accident was Youngstown Detective Sergeant Patricia Garcar. (Trial Tr., Vol. II, 349.) Garcar stated that she observed significant damage to the Sunfire’s A-pillar. (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 356-357.) She explained that a vehicle’s pillars “are probably the most -- the strongest parts of the vehicle, one of the strongest parts of the vehicle.” (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 356.) {¶13} Garcar also examined the tire tread of Brady’s vehicle. She described the tires as “[s]mooth as a baby’s bottom.” (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 358.) She discovered “[v]ery little, if any, tread on his car, on the Explorer.” (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 358-359.) {¶14} Additionally, Garcar explained that “the Sunfire was traveling northbound in the curb lane. Basically, the green vehicle crosses and crosses her lane. That first impact was a side -- kind of sideswiping impact * * *.” (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 365.) She testified that the first point of contact would have been the driver’s front- side fender. (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 366.) Further, Garcar stated that Brady’s vehicle crossed the center line and struck decedent’s vehicle in the curb lane. (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 368-369.) {¶15} The posted speed limit on Meridian Road is 35 m.p.h. Garcar stated that Brady’s vehicle was “definitely” traveling in excess of 35 m.p.h. based on her -4-

assessment of the damage to the vehicles. (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 370-371.) During cross- examination, Garcar testified that Brady was likely traveling between 40 and 50 m.p.h. (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 392-393.) {¶16} Also testifying about the data module recovered from decedent’s Sunfire was Ohio State Highway Patrol Trooper Christopher Jester. (Trial Tr., Vol. III, 426.) Jester is a crash reconstructionist for Northeast Ohio. Jester stated that decedent was traveling 42 m.p.h., five, four, and three seconds before the airbag deployed. (Trial Tr., Vol.

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Bluebook (online)
2014 Ohio 5721, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-brady-ohioctapp-2014.