Thursday, August 23rd, 2012

Celina man sentenced for traffic death

By Amy Kronenberger

A Celina man pleaded no contest and was sentenced to a $300 fine and court costs in Celina Municipal Court last week after a charge of vehicular homicide was reduced to a right of way violation.

Darren G. Porter, 39, 1407 Queensbury Drive, Celina, initially was charged with a rearview mirror violation and vehicular homicide after reportedly causing a fatal crash on Aug. 16, 2011.

Porter, driving a county-owned gravel spreader, reportedly changed lanes on Fort Recovery-Minster Road near St. Peters Road into the path of an eastbound motorcycle operated by Ralph S. Ranly, 90, of Fort Recovery. The motorcycle struck Porter's spreader, ejecting Ranly onto the roadway. Ranly, who was wearing a helmet, reportedly received incapacitating injuries and was transported by emergency helicopter to Miami Valley Hospital, Dayton. He died Sept. 3, 2011.

The Mercer County coroner determined the cause of death was from blunt force trauma resulting from the crash.

City law director George Moore and the defendant's attorney reviewed the case multiple times and determined the circumstances warranted minor misdemeanor charges. Judge James Scheer ruled a license suspension was unnecessary.

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