T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Benjamin Romshak is arraigned for aggravated vehicular homicide in connection with a fatal head-on collision in November. Charges now include allegations of operating a vehicle while under the influence. Romshak was also terminated from treatment in lieu of conviction in a prior drug case.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The man accused of causing a fatal head-on collision near Flushing in November was arraigned Friday.

Benjamin Fred Romshak, 34, of 72375 Morristown-Flushing Road, Flushing appeared via video before Belmont County Common Pleas Judge Chris Berhalter and pleaded innocent to two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, felonies of the second and third degrees, and one first-degree misdemeanor charge of operating a vehicle while under the influence of methamphetamines.

Berhalter set Romshak’s pretrial hearing for Feb. 26. His plea agreement deadline is March 11, and his trial is March 21.

The judge also terminated Romshak’s treatment in lieu of conviction from a prior case of third-degree felony possession of drugs after Romshak admitted to violations of failing to appear in court and failure to complete in-patient treatment at the Office of Veterans Affairs. Berhalter ordered a pre-sentencing investigation and set that sentencing for March 21.

Romshak was remanded to the county jail without bond.

After the arraignment, Belmont County Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Vavra commented.

“There is no bond. He cannot post bond. He will be held in jail until the sentencing in that (drug possession) case,” Vavra said.

“He was indicted on one count of vehicular homicide with a stipulation he was driving recklessly. We presented a superseding indictment because we received some new evidence regarding impairment, so we added a charge of causing vehicular homicide including committing an OVI and an OVI charge, and he still has the same reckless charge that he already had,” Vavra continued. “We received lab results from the (Ohio State) Highway Patrol regarding a urine test provided by the defendant on the date of the accident.”

On Nov. 14, Sunni Rae Scott of Bellaire suffered severe injuries in a head-on collision with a vehicle allegedly driven by Romshak.

Scott, 49, underwent multiple surgeries as a result and died Nov. 21. Scott had been the manager of Sunni Rae’s Buy, Sell, Trade in Flushing.

Vavra said there had been calls to 911 about a driver operating a vehicle recklessly on Ohio 331 shortly before the accident. He said multiple agencies including the sheriff’s office and the patrol responded.

“It all happened so quickly I’m not sure if they quite had that opportunity, but there was a call before that accident from another driver concerned about his driving, so they were responding to that. But I think by the time they were able to, the accident occurred,” Vavra said. “When this occurred, he was in our intervention program.”