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Y! MyWebMan to serve 14 years for fatal crash
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Springfield, Ohio — Family members of a Springfield man sobbed as he was sentenced to serve 14 years in prison for causing a three-car crash that killed a woman and left his friend seriously injured.
Richard Miller, 28, was sentenced Tuesday, Sept. 2, to 10 years in prison after he previously pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and four years for aggravated vehicular assault. Miller's driver's license was also suspended for life, and he was ordered to pay a $1,000 fine.
Before he was sentenced, Miller tried to quietly apologize to the family of Kathy Clos, the victim, but he broke down in tears and buried his head on the table.
Clos, 50, was killed in the accident Jan. 18 when Miller's vehicle struck her car near Villa and Derr roads. Steven Skaggs, a passenger in the car driven by Miller, also suffered serious injuries.
Rick Clos, Kathy's husband, said he had sympathy for Miller's family, but it would not bring his wife back.
"I would do anything in the world for them," he said, "but I also want them to know there's a lesson to be learned."
Skaggs, as well as Miller's attorneys, asked that the sentences be served concurrently, or at the same time. Skaggs had written a letter to the court saying he did not want Miller to be punished for his injuries.
But Clark County Probate Judge Richard Carey declined, citing Miller's previous criminal history and the circumstances of the accident. Miller had been ordered to seek treatment for alcohol use previously and had 13 prior offenses as an adult, most involving motor vehicle citations. During the accident, authorities said, Miller was speeding, under the influence, driving without his headlights on and apparently fleeing from authorities.
"The court has witnessed time and time again the painful consequences of acts such as this and unfortunately, the court cannot give you the ultimate justice and that's bringing you back the life of your loved one,' Carey told Clos' family.
Virgil W. Miller, Richard Miller's uncle, said his family had been expecting the sentence and both families were doing the best they could to cope. He said he was praying for Clos' family.
Miller however said he believes the courts need to find a better way to deal with defendants who suffer from alcoholism.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
