ROMSHAK

IN THE wake of a fatal collision that occurred as 2023 was winding down, much of 2024 was spent seeking justice for victim Sunni Rae Scott.

Benjamin Fred Romshak, 33, of Flushing was involved in a crash with Scott on Nov. 14, 2023. Scott 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 on Ohio 331 and struck Scott’s vehicle head on.

Scott, 49, was severely injured in the crash. She underwent multiple surgeries and died on Nov. 21, 2023.

Romshak was arrested on an unrelated warrant the following month and also charged in connection with Scott’s death. The criminal case against him then unfolded throughout the course of 2024.

When Romshak pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide in October, Belmont County Prosecutor Kevin 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 vehicular homicide while driving impaired is a second-degree felony.

According to Flanagan, the maximum possible sentence for that charge, which his office sought, 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 sought an additional sentence related to that previous third-degree felony drug possession charge to add another three years to Romshak’s sentence.

On Nov. 4, Romshak was sentenced to nine years in prison – the eight-year maximum on the aggravated vehicular homicide charge and an additional year for the third-degree felony drug possession charge.

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.