By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
GENEVA — Family members of William Johns sat silently in Judge Richard Stevens’ courtroom Monday afternoon, waiting for charges in the fatal crash that killed a Geneva woman and critically injured two Geneva-on-the-Lake residents.
He was arraigned from the Ashtabula County Jail via video remote to Western County Court on a single homicide charge.
Johns is charged with aggravated vehicular homicide — a second degree felony — after he failed to stop at a stop sign at Maple Road and Route 534. Johns’ F-150 pickup collided with Tammy Phillipp’s Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports.
Phillipp’s passenger, Carri Shehan, 40, died at the scene. Tammy and Fred Phillipp remain in critical condition at Cleveland MetroHealth Medical Center, the Ohio State Highway Patrol reports.
Johns was found to be intoxicated and was arrested at the scene, OHP reports.
During the video arraignment, Trooper Jared Klingensmith read the official crash report, noting charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and failure to yield charges against Johns are imminent.
Klingensmith said Johns’ blood alcohol concentration (BAC) was .103. Any driver with BAC of 0.08 or higher is considered intoxicated.
Johns’ attorney, Richard Dana, said his client has just two speeding tickets on record. Johns is also a union carpenter, a 1984 Jefferson High School graduate and is engaged.
“(Johns) has no significant past criminal record,” Dana said. “In my opinion he is not a flight risk. He is taking these charges very seriously. He has hired legal representation and he is a long-standing citizen of the area.”
Though OHP requested a $50,000 bond for Johns, Stevens issued a $25,000 bond, cash or surety, “because of the second degree felony offense and because other people were injured,” he said.
Johns remains in the county jail Monday night, a deputy at the jail confirmed.
