Driver in deadly buggy crash to serve mandatory prison time
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (Dec. 12, 2024) – The Port Washington man responsible for the crash that killed a buggy driver is hoping others will learn from his mistake.
68-year-old Benjamin Henry expressed his remorse on Monday during his sentencing in Tuscarawas County Common Pleas Court, also vowing to share his story with as many young drivers as possible.
“A man lost his life, a wife lost her husband, a family lost a father, all because of one senseless choice. I would love to have the opportunity to tell my story to every high school that would allow it. I would also tell them that if they think that the consequences of their actions only affect them, they are sadly mistaken. So many lives have been affected by this.”
Henry previously pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, OVI, and failing to stop after the January 31st crash on State Route 258 near Newcomerstown that killed 53-year-old Menno Troyer. Judge Elizabeth Thomakos ordered the jointly recommended punishment – a mandatory 3 to 4.5 years in prison followed by another 36 months – noting a previous OVI and other traffic-related convictions.
“Those are not the most serious crimes that we see in this room but in my view it paints the picture of a cavalier attitude towards the roles that relate to the use and responsibilities of operating a motor vehicle.”
The highway patrol says Henry’s blood alcohol level was nearly three times the legal limit when he was apprehended shortly after the crash where he went left of center, striking the westbound buggy head on. Troyer’s family was invited but chose not to participate in the court proceedings.