Wednesday, December 29, 1999
Driver who backed into stroller guilty of felony DUI
BY STEVE KEMME
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HAMILTON — Ronald Wayne Jarrett, who backed his pickup into a stroller with two children, was found guilty Tuesday of a felony charge of driving under the influence. But, to the dismay of the children's parents, the Butler County Common Pleas Court jury acquitted him of the more serious charge of aggravated vehicular assault.
“Today's been a tragic day,” said Little Hawk Osborne, stepfather of the two children.
The DUI conviction of Mr. Jarrett was a felony because it was his fourth DUI conviction in six years. Judge H.J. Bressler will sentence him Feb. 11.
Mr. Jarrett, 34, of Hamilton, could receive up to one year in jail and be fined $1,500 to $10,000. He also could forfeit his pickup and could have his driver's license suspended for three years to life, said Karl Harris, an assistant county prosecutor.
The children's mother, Amy Reed Osborne, was talking at an outdoor pay phone on Eaton Street in Hamilton on April 21 when Mr. Jarrett backed his pickup into the stroller. Mrs. Osborne testified that she had seen him stagger out of the Pub Club, a bar next to the parking lot, before getting into his truck.
Two bartenders testified that he had consumed at least three beers and three shots of tequila while in the bar. They said he passed out and slept for two hours before leaving.
Mrs. Osborne's son, Samuel Abshear, 2, required 15 stitches on his face and inside his mouth. He also suffered two cuts on the back of his head. His sister, Sandra Abshear, 1, was treated for a cut behind her ear.
Mr. Osborne said the scar tissue on Samuel's nose is so thick that he can barely breathe through his left nostril. The psychological damage from the collision also has been severe, he said.
Samuel wakes up every night between 2 and 3 a.m. screaming from nightmares, he said. “I or my wife will hold him and talk to him for about an hour to calm him down,” Mr. Osborne said. “These are things that can't be seen in the courtroom.”
Mrs. Osborne has two other children and is four months pregnant with a fifth.
As a result of the accident, Samuel is afraid of cars and wants to hold his parents' hands whenever he is outside, Mr. Osborne said.
“He had to watch the truck coming toward him and hitting him in the face,” Mr. Osborne said.
Mr. Jarrett's attorney, Dan Hurr, argued that the children's injuries were not serious enough for the aggravated vehicular assault charge.
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