Akron - Summit County Prosecutor Sherri Bevan Walsh announced today that Summit County Common Pleas Court Judge Kelly McLaughlin sentenced Stephen Eibel, 57, of Sherwood Avenue in Massillon, to a mandatory 30 months in prison for crashing into a police cruiser occupied by a Stow Police Officer. Judge McLaughlin also suspended Mr. Eibel’s driver’s license for seven years.
On August 13th, 2019, Eibel pled guilty to the following charges:
- Aggravated Vehicular Assault- a felony of the 3rd degree
- Operating a Vehicle Under the Influence – a Misdemeanor of the 1st degree
“This is the sixth time Mr. Eibel has been caught driving drunk. He’s lucky that no one was seriously injured or killed,” said Prosecutor Walsh. “Mr. Eibel’s actions put us all at risk. This is why I fight for stronger sentences for repeat drunk drivers.”
On May 6th, 2019, Stow Police Sergeant Ted Bell was sitting in his cruiser in a construction zone on Route 8 with the vehicle’s emergency lights flashing. Just before 10:30pm, Mr. Eibel slammed into Sgt. Bell’s cruiser. Sgt. Bell suffered injuries to his upper back, neck and head.
Photo courtesy of the Summit County Sheriff's Office
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