The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Akron resident fatally struck 17-year-old Eastlake girl
A memorial for Maddisan Chase still stands at the intersection of Vine Street and E. 337th Street in Eastlake, nearly five months after she was struck and killed by a work truck.
The flowers, stuffed animals and notes of remembrance for the 17-year-old North High School student were placed at the corner in the days following the June 5 crash.
“Always in our hearts,” one note reads. “Sing with the angels,” reads another.
Eric Jones Jr., 27, of Akron, pleaded guilty Nov. 1 to second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide and firstdegree misdemeanor operating a vehicular under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them.
As part of his guilty plea, three other charges against Jones are being dropped. He faces up to 8 1/2 years in prison.
On the day of the crash, Eastlake police said Jones drove off the right side of the road in his work truck and struck Chase. The truck then
continued and crash into a pole at the southwest corner of the intersection. Chase was transported to Lake
Health’s West Medical Center in Willoughby, where she was pronounced dead.
Assistant Lake County Prosecutor Pat Condon said that as Eastlake police interacted with Jones at the scene, he was nodding off, he displayed poor dexterity,
his speech was “unusual” and his responses didn’t make sense.
A blood test was taken and analyzed at the Lake County Crime Laboratory and later the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office. Condon said that Lake
County Crime Lab Supervisor Doug Rohde would have testified at trial that it’s his opinion Jones was under the influence of amphetamine, methamphetamine and alprazolam during the time of the crash.
Jones will be sentenced
by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge John P. O’Donnell Dec. 19.
O’Donnell revoked Jones’ bond Nov. 1. He has been held in the Lake County Jail in lieu of $750,000 (originally set at $500,000) bond since June 6.