Tuesday, June 01, 1999
Driver does time at church of jogger he hit, killed
The Associated Press
MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio — A driver who struck and killed a minister who was jogging in the fog has begun serving 200 hours of community service alongside the victim's widow and parishioners.
“If I could, I'd bring that morning back,” said Dusty Lough, 48, of Garrettsville. “It was the worst morning of my life.”
When Mr. Lough reports to the Christ Covenant Church to handle odd jobs as part of his court-ordered community service, he occasionally is face-to-face with Mary Miller, widow of the Rev. Ray Miller, 44.
Mr. Lough was convicted in November of negligent vehicular homicide. Newton Falls Municipal Judge Thomas Old ruled that he had been driving too fast for the foggy conditions.
The judge gave Mr. Lough three months in jail and ordered him to perform 200 hours of work at the Rev. Mr. Miller's church, forcing the two sides to interact.
Mr. Lough did a few hours of work at the church before Christmas, then started regular morning shifts in May performing odd jobs and yard work.
Mrs. Miller considers Mr. Lough's work at the church a test of faith for her and the congregation. The church, she said, constantly preaches forgiveness.
“It makes us walk out what we talk about,” Mrs. Miller said. “We talk about forgiveness. We talk about restitution. This gives us the opportunity to see if it's real.”
In his first three weeks at the church, no one asked him about the accident.
“I don't like talking about the accident,” he said. “Anytime somebody tries to talk about it, I shy away from it. Nobody should have to go through that.”
Mrs. Miller said she has forgiven Mr. Lough and no longer feels animosity toward him. She also recognizes that Mr. Lough never meant to hurt anyone, but she thought it was important that he be held accountable for her husband's death.
“I just think human life is human life,” she said. “I wanted it to be the maximum. I didn't want a sentence that would cause undue hardship to him and his family, so I thought a few months jail and community service and restitution to our church makes it manageable.”
Mrs. Miller had told the judge during sentencing that she thought service at the church would be appropriate so Mr. Lough would make restitution directly to those most hurt by the accident.
Church member Larry Hunt said he and the church's other elders agree that if Mrs. Miller wants Mr. Lough at the church, they are fine with it.
“I think it's good for him, and I think it's good for the church,” Mr. Hunt said. “It's been good for us to look at our own individual responses to someone like that and determine how God wants us to respond.”
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