South Charleston man being sued for $50K by family of teen he hit, killed in I-70 crash

In early 2019, Terrell pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide, aggravated vehicular assault and OVI. On Oct. 28 he was sentenced to the maximum prison term allowed by Ohio law — a minimum of 13 ½ years, maximum of 17 ½, years in prison. Terrell is currently serving his sentence at the London Correctional Institution.

According to an Ohio State Highway Patrol investigation, Terrell was driving about 135 mph on July 2 when he struck Eskeli’s car. His blood alcohol concentration was more than three times Ohio’s legal driving limit.

READ MORE: South Charleston man sentenced in crash that killed 20-year-old

Eskeli was killed in the crash while his two passengers, Zack Cooper, 21, and Benjamin Cooper, 22, was taken to the hospital and have since recovered. All three were driving back to New York after an engineering event.

According to court documents, Terrell is being sued by Esklei’s parents on two different counts — negligent, reckless, malicious conduct for $25,000 and statutory liability for criminal acts for $25,000.

The amount of $50,000 was selected due to “economic losses and out-of-pocket expenses including but not limited to, funeral bills, burial expenses, fees and/or costs related to prosecuting (the lawsuit),” as well as, “Billy Esklei’s loss of income,” among other things, according to court documents.

READ MORE: Mom of I-70 fatal crash victim: ‘There is always going to be a gaping hole in our hearts’

Terrell’s “negligence and/or recklessness,” on July 2 includes “failing to control a motor vehicle, driving in excess of the posted speed limit, driving in excess of a safe speed given all existing conditions at that times, making or attempting an improper or unsafe lane change, operating a motor vehicle while impaired, failing to obey pavement markings, failing to operate his vehicle within pavement marking, failure to pay attention and maintain a proper lookout and failing to devote full time and attention to driving,” according to court documents.

“Terrell’s actions and omissions violated numerous traffic laws and regulations and were otherwise negligent,” court documents said. “As a direct and proximate result of (Terrell’s) negligence and/or recklessness, decedent Billy Eskeli sustained serious, debilitating, permanent and ultimately fatal injuries.”

Terrell has not yet responded to the lawsuit, which was filed on June 16, and has not yet selected an attorney to represent him, according to online court records..