The Dunbridge man who was drunk when he struck and killed a bicyclist downtown had pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide.
James Patrick Lindsay, 54, was transported from the jail Thursday to the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Joel Kuhlman.
He entered guilty pleas to the homicide charge, operating a vehicle while under the influence and attempted failure to stop after an accident.
A second count of attempted failure to stop will be dismissed at sentencing.
According to Wood County Assistant Prosecutor Brian Boos, on July 1, Lindsay was operating a pickup truck while on a suspended license.
Other drivers observed Lindsay swerving on South Main Street before he approached the intersection of Pearl Street.
Michael Szabo, 60, Bowling Green, was riding his bike on the sidewalk. Lindsay’s vehicle traveled off the roadway and onto the sidewalk, where he ran over Szabo and his bike.
Szabo was dragged under the vehicle until it crashed into trees and landscaping in front of Key Bank, Boos said.
The front passenger wheel came to a stop on top of Szabo’s head, and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Boos said.
The Lucas County Coroner’s report indicated Szabo died of multiple blunt force injuries, he said.
After the crash, witnesses saw Lindsay get out of the vehicle, assess the truck before “hustling” back into the drivers seat and trying to put it in reverse in order to leave the scene. However, the vehicle was lodged in the landscaping, Boos said.
Bowling Green Police Division officers who arrived at the scene observed Lindsay has bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech and a strong odor of alcohol on his breath, Boos said.
Lindsay refused a breath test. A blood draw two hours later after a warrant was obtained showed a blood alcohol content of 0.14, he said.
“The defendant had to have known he caused serious physical harm when he attempted to leave the scene,” Boos said.
He had walked around the truck, observed the damage before trying to flee, he said.
Lindsay had a suspended license due to a prior refusal and had no privileges allowing him to drive. He had been convicted twice for OVI in Wood County.
Lindsay didn’t dispute what happened.
“Pretty much yes,” he said. “The only thing I didn’t know was I hit somebody.”
Kuhlman said he could impose a mandatory term of 3-11 years for the homicide charge, which is a first-degree felony, with a maximum of 16.5 years. There also is a mandatory lifetime driver’s license suspension.
He said the misdemeanor OVI charge has a mandatory 30 days in jail with a maximum of one year. The failure to stop, a fourth-degree felony, carries a possible sentence of six-18 months.
The maximum term is 13.5 years with another 5.5 years as an indefinite term due to the homicide charge falling under Reagan Tokes Law stipulations.
Sentencing was scheduled for Dec. 5.
Lindsay remains in jail on a $250,000 bond.
