Orwell woman won’t face jail in vehicular manslaughter
MESOPOTAMIA — A 32-year-old Orwell woman has been sentenced to one year of probation and a one-year suspension of her driver’s license after her van hit an Amish buggy, causing the death of an unborn child.
Jessica Scialabba of Orwell pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter in Newton Falls Municipal Court.
She will not go to jail, as a 90-day sentence was suspended.
Her license is suspended for a year starting Dec. 4. She also faces a one-year no-contact order with the victims.
The crash happened May 12 on state Route 87 in dark, unlit conditions, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Scialabba was driving a Chevrolet Express van westbound when it rear-ended the buggy, pushing it off the road.
A 25-year-old pregnant woman and an 11-month-old boy in the buggy were flown to a Cleveland hospital with serious injuries.
The woman’s unborn child died from the crash.
A 2-year-old boy in the buggy also suffered serious injuries. Scialabba and the buggy’s driver were not hurt.
Court records show issues with safety signs on the victims’ vehicle. The victims first talked about the case but chose not to testify at a pretrial hearing.
