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By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal
POSTED: 05:38 p.m. EDT, Jul 08, 2009
STOW: A Canton schoolteacher must perform 40 hours of community service for his role in a car crash that claimed the life of a Ravenna woman.
Stow Municipal Judge Kim Hoover today sentenced Erik J. Escola III, 31, who pleaded no contest to a charge of vehicular homicide in the death of Elaine Baer, 42.
Hoover also fined Escola $250 and court costs, and ordered him to obey all laws for two years.
Escola, who teaches culinary arts at Timken High School, was driving on Interstate 76 in Tallmadge on Nov. 17.
The roads were covered with snow when Escola's 1999 Ford Ranger hit a Chevy Malibu, driven by Amanda Espenschied-Reilly, 31, of Dover, before crossing the median into the path of a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire driven by Baer, authorities said.
The pickup burst into flames, trapping Escola inside. A passerby saw the crash and rushed to help.
''When you [Escola] got out of your pickup, your immediate thought was of the other drivers,'' Hoover said. ''You talk to [Baer], who is quite kind, even forgiving. The next thing you know, she's in the hospital.''
Authorities said Baer was walking around at the crash site. She later went to the hospital and died of a ruptured aorta.
Hoover noted Escola even made a donation to Baer's memorial fund.
An investigation concluded Escola was driving too fast for the road conditions.
Akron attorney James Burdon, who represents Escola, said his client is the most unlikely person to be standing in a courtroom, accused of a crime.
''If you're trying to find a person to model your child after, this would be Erik,'' Burdon said.
Escola told Hoover the accident was a tragic situation.
''Every night I go to bed and think about that night,'' Escola said. ''It breaks my heart that her family is suffering.''
Baer's family did not attend the sentencing hearing. Her parents did contact Hoover before the hearing.
''I want to make it clear that they consider this an accident,'' Hoover told Escola. ''They don't hold you responsible.''
The judge said Baer's family will choose where Escola performs the required community service.
''This is not meant to be a punishment,'' Hoover said. ''It is meant to make you feel good and feel you're honoring her memory. Maybe it will allow you some closure and allow her family to heal.''
STOW: A Canton schoolteacher must perform 40 hours of community service for his role in a car crash that claimed the life of a Ravenna woman.
Stow Municipal Judge Kim Hoover today sentenced Erik J. Escola III, 31, who pleaded no contest to a charge of vehicular homicide in the death of Elaine Baer, 42.
Hoover also fined Escola $250 and court costs, and ordered him to obey all laws for two years.
Escola, who teaches culinary arts at Timken High School, was driving on Interstate 76 in Tallmadge on Nov. 17.
The roads were covered with snow when Escola's 1999 Ford Ranger hit a Chevy Malibu, driven by Amanda Espenschied-Reilly, 31, of Dover, before crossing the median into the path of a 2002 Pontiac Sunfire driven by Baer, authorities said.
The pickup burst into flames, trapping Escola inside. A passerby saw the crash and rushed to help.
''When you [Escola] got out of your pickup, your immediate thought was of the other drivers,'' Hoover said. ''You talk to [Baer], who is quite kind, even forgiving. The next thing you know, she's in the hospital.''
Authorities said Baer was walking around at the crash site. She later went to the hospital and died of a ruptured aorta.
Hoover noted Escola even made a donation to Baer's memorial fund.
An investigation concluded Escola was driving too fast for the road conditions.
Akron attorney James Burdon, who represents Escola, said his client is the most unlikely person to be standing in a courtroom, accused of a crime.
''If you're trying to find a person to model your child after, this would be Erik,'' Burdon said.
Escola told Hoover the accident was a tragic situation.
''Every night I go to bed and think about that night,'' Escola said. ''It breaks my heart that her family is suffering.''
Baer's family did not attend the sentencing hearing. Her parents did contact Hoover before the hearing.
''I want to make it clear that they consider this an accident,'' Hoover told Escola. ''They don't hold you responsible.''
The judge said Baer's family will choose where Escola performs the required community service.
''This is not meant to be a punishment,'' Hoover said. ''It is meant to make you feel good and feel you're honoring her memory. Maybe it will allow you some closure and allow her family to heal.''
Comments
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Cuyahoga Falls, Oh
Posted 06:34 PM, 07/08/2009
What a tragedy. A good person dead and a good person living the nightmare of this tragedy. May God be with the families.
wadsworth, oh
Posted 06:48 PM, 07/08/2009
Learn to be a better driver. Slow down especially when conditions warrant it. Driving is NOT a right, but a privilege. Use headlights, use turn signals and try to anticipate what others might do. In other words, drive defensively.
Canton, OH
Posted 07:03 PM, 07/08/2009
Is this the Ex-Perry Police Chief's sibling ???
WOW !! WHATTA FAMILY. . .
norton, oh
Posted 08:19 PM, 07/08/2009
I hope everything goes well from now on
Massillon, OH
Posted 08:27 PM, 07/08/2009
A friend of mine slid off the road on 76 that night as well and later saw the aftermath of this accident, so I've been following this and the other accidents that occurred that night. According to Escola and other witnesses, he was traveling cautiously, under the posted speed, as was the rest of traffic. Several other vehicles also spun out in nearly the same area that night, so please be responsible and respectful with your comments. A life was lost that night and another changed forever. Let's turn our thoughts and prayers instead to Ms. Baer's family.
Posted 09:18 PM, 07/08/2009
Slovensko......YOU ARE AN IDIOT! And that is kind you assw%#@.
Posted 09:20 PM, 07/08/2009
It would have been better if you wrote fear the roo!!! YOU IDIOT!!!
Posted 07:26 AM, 07/09/2009
There, folks, is an example how our life can change forever in a nanosecond. What happened to Erik can happen to any of us. Judge Hoover showed compassion in this case , as well he should have.
A tragedy for both families.
Akron, oh
Posted 07:50 AM, 07/09/2009
Sometimes it is fate. You can be as carefull as you can but sometime mother nature predicts your future.
Sad story for all
anytown, oh
Posted 08:45 AM, 07/09/2009
Has everyone missed the fact that this was a trajic accident that an out of control justice system has criminalized?
Since when did mere accidents become crimes? If he was driving recklessly or dangerously, then charging him with a crime may be appropriate. But even if he was negligent, that is not a crime. We have a civil legal system to address that. This state is slowing turning into a police state where citizens have no rights and either most people don't care or haven't noticed.
This should make everyone of us afraid to drive our car. There is not a person who reads this that can't say at some point in time they either slid off or spun off of a snow covered or icy road during an Ohio winter. Apparently spinning out or sliding off the road is now a crime, and a rather serious one if someone is hurt. For those of you who are thinking he must have been doing something wrong to merit charges, you've clearly never had any interaction with the criminal justice system so think again.
Let's try to regain some of the common sense we've lost. Maybe the prosecutor should face criminal charges for this act of stupidity.
My heart goes out to the families involved. This was trajic, but it was just an accident.
Barberton, OH
Posted 08:59 AM, 07/09/2009
Trajic?
Posted 03:15 PM, 07/10/2009
@ Concerned Citizen
I think you overlook the fact that he 1. Was traveling too fast for road conditions and 2. didn't give assured clear distance. Both are traffic offenses and when a fatality occurs as a result of a traffic offense it becomes a vehicular homicide. That being said, Judge Hoover is to be commended for recognizing the circumstances and applying the appropriate justice.
