State v. Lindsey

943 N.E.2d 613, 190 Ohio App. 3d 595
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 2, 2010
DocketNo. 09AP-773
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 943 N.E.2d 613 (State v. Lindsey) 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. Lindsey, 943 N.E.2d 613, 190 Ohio App. 3d 595 (Ohio Ct. App. 2010).

Opinion

Connor, Judge.

{¶ 1} Defendant-appellant, Syrita Lindsey, appeals from a judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, entered upon a jury verdict convicting her of four counts of vehicular assault. For the following reasons, we affirm that judgment.

{¶ 2} On April 18, 2007, at approximately 8:00 p.m., appellant was involved in a serious automobile accident on Waggoner Road in Franklin County, Ohio, in which her Lexus RX300 SUV crashed head-on into a red Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck driven by Christopher Johnson. Johnson and his three young grandsons, ages three, six, and 11, sustained numerous injuries. Johnson was flown by life-flight to Grant Medical Center. His three grandsons were transported to Children’s Hospital and treated for multiple lacerations and fractures. Appellant was also injured and was transported to the hospital for treatment.

{¶ 3} On March 24, 2008, appellant was indicted by the Franklin County Grand Jury on four counts of aggravated vehicular assault, four counts of vehicular assault, and one count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

{¶ 4} The matter proceeded to trial on April 13, 2009. However, prior to impaneling the jury, a hearing was held that on the issue of appellant’s refusal to submit to a blood-alcohol test. Following the hearing, the trial court held that the state could not introduce evidence of appellant’s refusal to submit to a chemical test and therefore, the court would not instruct the jurors regarding the refusal. The court reached this determination because the state could not produce the appropriate form demonstrating appellant’s refusal.

{¶ 5} During trial, the state introduced the testimony of several witnesses, including that of Johnson, three firefighters and/or paramedics, and two police officers, as well as the testimony of appellant’s cousin, Taneka Hamilton.

{¶ 6} Johnson testified that he was heading home after picking up some propane for grilling at the Meijer gas station at Broad Street and Waggoner Road when the accident occurred. Johnson saw appellant’s vehicle come around a bend in the road going downhill and speeding out of control. He immediately [601]*601knew that appellant was going to hit him. Johnson testified that appellant’s vehicle did not come just left of center. Rather, appellant’s vehicle came all the way across the center line and straight into his lane, which was the wrong lane of travel for appellant. Appellant struck him head-on, despite the fact that he was nearly stopped and against the guardrail, as far off the road as he could be, due to the narrow berm in that area. Johnson testified that appellant appeared to have lost control when she came around the slight curve.

{¶ 7} Johnson testified that although he had less than a second to observe appellant’s vehicle before reacting, he believed that she was speeding. He estimated the posted speed limit in that area to be 45 mph. When asked how he concluded that appellant was speeding, Johnson stated: “From that — that’s why I say it was such a quick amount of time. I mean, it was just — she was — there was no car, then all of a sudden like around that bend just, you know, I couldn’t tell you how fast she was going but it was very fast.” In addition, Johnson identified numerous photographs of the area where the accident occurred. These photographs were labeled State’s exhibit Nos. S-l through S-14.

{¶ 8} Johnson also testified to the injuries he sustained as a result of the accident, which, among other injuries, included a shattered hip and a broken leg, both of which required surgery. While at the hospital, Johnson developed pneumonia and was on life support for approximately two months. At the time of the trial, he had undergone 49 surgeries related to his injuries and could no longer work.

{¶ 9} Hamilton testified that she and appellant are first cousins. On the day of the accident, she arrived at appellant’s house around noon to braid appellant’s hair. Hamilton and appellant opened a bottle of wine, which they shared. Each of them had a couple of glasses of wine. Hamilton also cooked steaks for dinner. Hamilton testified that appellant did not appear to be affected by the alcohol and was not visibly impaired.

{¶ 10} After braiding appellant’s hair, Hamilton and appellant got into their respective vehicles to drive to the ATM at the Meijer at Broad Street and Waggoner Road, which was just a short distance away, so that appellant could pay Hamilton for her services. Appellant pulled off first and Hamilton followed her, but there was a car in between them on Waggoner Road. Hamilton was able to see appellant’s vehicle until appellant drove down the slope, at which time she lost sight of appellant’s SUV. As Hamilton descended the slope, she saw that an accident had occurred. Hamilton immediately put her own ear in park and raced to appellant’s vehicle, which was smoking. Fearing that the vehicle might explode, Hamilton pulled appellant from the passenger side of the vehicle and took appellant back to her own car for a while. Although appellant asked Hamilton to take the blame for the accident, Hamilton chose not to do so.

[602]*602{¶ 11} Hamilton also testified that she did not see the crash, but speculated that appellant may have struck a pothole in that area, although she admitted that she really did not know what happened. However, Hamilton testified that she did not see appellant driving erratically.

{¶ 12} Columbus firefighter and paramedic Phillip Biggs testified that he provided treatment to Johnson and to appellant at the scene of the accident. Biggs testified that he encountered appellant after he had been on the scene for approximately 30 minutes. She was evaluated, given an IV, and then transported to Grant Medical Center. While treating appellant, Biggs wondered if appellant had been drinking, but he did not notice any signs of intoxication or of a head injury. He did observe that appellant was bleeding and had glass in her hair.

{¶ 13} Volunteer firefighter Russell Thomas, who assisted Biggs, also testified that he did not notice an odor of alcohol about appellant’s person. However, Thomas testified that appellant was very agitated and somewhat incoherent, asking numerous times about the other individuals involved in the accident. Thomas testified that appellant repeatedly kept saying, “How bad did I f*** those people up[?]” and “I can’t believe I f***ed those people up.” Thomas also testified that the air bags had been deployed in the two vehicles he observed and both vehicles had been severely damaged.

{¶ 14} Officer Michelle Perry testified that she was the first responding police officer on the scene. She observed Johnson’s red pickup truck off to the right of the roadway facing north on Waggoner Road and appellant’s gold Lexus SUV in the middle of the roadway facing south on Waggoner Road. Officer Perry initially spoke with Hamilton, who was thought to be the driver of one of the involved vehicles. However, after speaking with Hamilton, Officer Perry determined that Hamilton was not one of the drivers involved in the crash. Officer Perry next spoke with appellant, who was seated in the passenger seat of the Lexus SUV. Appellant had severe lacerations to her face. Upon asking appellant what had happened, appellant told Officer Perry, “I don’t know. I wasn’t driving.” She further advised Officer Perry that she had been in the passenger seat and did not see anything.

{¶ 15} Officer Perry asked appellant several times if she needed medical attention.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

State v. Miranda
2014 Ohio 5312 (Ohio Court of Appeals, 2014)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
943 N.E.2d 613, 190 Ohio App. 3d 595, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-lindsey-ohioctapp-2010.