Suspect in deadly crash on I-77 makes first court appearance
NEW PHILADELPHIA (WJER) (April 5, 2023) – The man charged for a deadly crash on I-77 days before the new year will remain locked up ahead of his trial even though the judge who arraigned him ordered a personal recognizance bond.
That’s what Assistant Tuscarawas County Prosecutor Fred Scott recommended for 53-year-old Craig Hanslik, who’s accused of causing the December 29th crash near Bolivar that killed 38-year-old Christopher Peters of Canton as he was sitting in his broken down Honda Pilot.
“Mr. Hanslik is serving a 3 to 4.5-year sentence out of Stark County. That sentence was imposed by Judge Haupt on March 2nd, 2023. Because he’s in the custody of the Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, we would ask for an O.R. bond in this case.”
Hanslik is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, OVID, drug possession, and drug trafficking. He pleaded not guilty when appeared by video from the county jail for the hearing before Judge Elizabeth Thomakos. She ordered the recognizance bond Scott recommended and scheduled a telephone conference with the attorneys on May 8th.
State troopers reported finding methamphetamine in Hanslik’s system after the crash and almost five grams of it in his vehicle. The recognizance bond means he won’t get credit for the time he’s locked up while the case is pending.