Springfield man sentenced to 2 years in prison for fatal crash

Jerry Durst

Jerry Durst

A Springfield man was convicted and sentenced in connection with a crash that killed an Urbana woman.

Jerry Durst, 38, pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in Clark County Common Pleas Court. He was sentenced to two years in prison by Clark County Judge Douglas Rastatter, according to a sentencing document.

His license was suspended for three years as well. Clark County Public Defender Jim Marshall, who represented Drust, declined comment when reached Thursday.

READ: Springfield man charged with homicide in Urbana woman’s death

Durst was charged in connection to a July crash that killed 62-year-old Debra Dunham of Urbana.

Drust was driving a 1998 Oldsmobile Bravada and allegedly rear-ended a tricycle motor vehicle that had slowed down on the 5500 block of Dayton-Springfield Road to turn into a private driveway.

Dunham was a passenger of a red 2008 Harley Davidson trike driven by 64-year-old Barry S. Dunham, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Springfield Post.

According to the indictment released by the Clark County prosecutor’s office , Drust was accused of having cocaine and marijuana in his system during the crash.

Debra Dunham was ejected during the crash and was wearing a helmet at the time. She was taken to Springfield Regional Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead, the patrol reported. The Ohio Highway Patrol investigated the crash while the Mad River Twp. Fire Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office assisted.

EXTRA: 19 indicted in Clark County in separate cases

Durst was also charged with three counts of operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs as part of the case. Those charges were dismissed after he pleaded guilty to the vehicular homicide charge, a felony in the third degree.

Durst was admitted into the department of corrections on Jan. 11, online records show.

About the Author