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ST. CLAIRSVILLE -- The man accused of causing a fatal, head-on collision that cost a Bellaire woman her life was arraigned Monday.
Benjamin Fred Romshak is being held without bond in the Belmont County Jail. Romshak, 34, of 72375 Morristown-Flushing Road pleaded innocent Monday in Belmont County Common Pleas Court to one count of third-degree felony vehicular manslaughter.
Sunni Rae Scott of Bellaire, manager of Sunni Rae's Buy Sell Trade in Flushing, died Nov. 21 after sustaining severe injuries in a head-on crash that occurred Nov. 14. Scott, 49, underwent multiple surgeries after being hospitalized. The crash reportedly occurred on Ohio 331. Reports state Romshak allegedly was driving left of center and collided with Scott's oncoming vehicle.
Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan said Romshak was arrested during the weekend on an unrelated warrant issued by Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter for failure to appear for a drug court review hearing. Romshak appeared Monday before Berhalter, who set Romshak's pretrial hearing on the vehicular manslaughter charge for Jan. 2, his plea agreement deadline for Jan. 29 and his trial for Feb. 13.
"He is being held with no bond, given that this act would have been a violation of his previous charge (of drug possession)," Flangan said.
According to jail records, Romshak is also being held on charges of possession of drugs.
"At this point in time, we do not believe that there was any substance abuse that was going on that would have led to this incident; however, please understand we are still awaiting lab results for the defendant and will be able to speak more definitively on that issue once we get those results," Flanagan said. "However, preliminary indication looks like ... at this point in time it does not look like any drug of abuse was a contributor.
"At this point it looks like excessive speed and reckless driving are the contributors to the incident," the prosecutor added.
Flanagan noted that his office is in communication with Rae's relatives.
"We're always in contact with the victim's family in a case such as this," he said. "In any case."