Benjamin Romshak

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The man who caused a fatal collision on Ohio 331 in November pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and will be sentenced Nov. 4, just 10 days shy of the anniversary of the crash.

Benjamin Fred Romshak, 33, of Flushing was charged in the death of Sunni Rae Scott. She was traveling from her Bellaire home to her Flushing business, Sunni Rae’s Buy, Sell, Trade, when a vehicle operated by Romshak at a high rate of speed traveled left of center and struck Scott’s vehicle head on.

Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin Flanagan confirmed Tuesday that Romshak pleaded guilty as charged in common pleas court on Monday. Flanagan said Romshak was driving recklessly on the morning of the crash and was also impaired.

“He tested positive for methamphetamine,” Flanagan said, noting that aggravated vehicle homicide while driving impaired is a second-degree felony.

According to Flanagan, the maximum possible sentence for that charge, which his office intends to seek, is eight years in prison. He added that any bad behavior while incarcerated could cause prison officials to seek additional time, which could be up to four more years behind bars.

In addition, Flanagan said Romshak had been on probation and enrolled in the county’s drug court program at the time of the offense. Judge Chris Berhalter terminated Romshak’s treatment in lieu of conviction that placed him in the drug court program, and prosecutors will seek to have an additional sentence related to that previous third-degree felony drug possession charge imposed. He said that could add another three years to Romshak’s sentence.

Scott, 49, was severely injured in the crash on Nov. 14. She underwent multiple surgeries and died on Nov. 21.

Assistant Prosecutor Joseph Vavra previously said multiple people had witnessed Romshak driving recklessly prior to the crash and had called 911 to report it. Multiple law enforcement agencies were en route to the area in an effort to intervene when the collision happened.