A 55-year-old man from the Beloit area is set to be sentenced on March 27 after being found guilty on three counts of vehicular manslaughter stemming from a fatal traffic collision, which claimed the lives of three individuals, including teenage siblings.
Douglas R. Mackey was convicted in Carroll County Municipal Court following his plea of no contest to the charges, as announced on Tuesday. Mackey similarly entered a plea of no contest to charges related to driving left-of-center, operating an unsafe vehicle, and failing to wear a seat belt.
The tragic incident occurred on April 10 along state Route 542 near Dellroy in Carroll County.
The collision resulted in the deaths of Randy L. Simmons, 60, of East Liverpool, along with two of his passengers, Tina D. Shetler, 18, and Kenneth D. Shetler, 16, both residents of Hammondsville. Delbert L. Shetler, the father of the teenage victims and also a resident of Hammondsville, sustained injuries in the crash.
Mackey was behind the wheel of a 2001 Ford F-650 at the time of the accident, which crossed into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a 2015 Honda Odyssey driven by Simmons.
Carroll County Prosecutor Steven D. Barnett noted that the investigation into the crash revealed significant safety issues with the vehicle operated by Mackey.
It was disclosed that the truck involved in the collision was owned by a tree service company.