Trending
LISBON -- A pretrial conference previously set for June 16 for a Canfield man charged with aggravated vehicular homicide has been rescheduled for 3 p.m. July 10 as a suppression hearing.
Defense attorney Michael McGee recently filed a motion in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to suppress statements made by his client Lowell Horst to police investigating the Sept. 23, 2022 fatal crash on state Route 172 near Zepernick Lake.
In the motion, he claimed the custodial statements violated his client's rights against self-incrimination. He also said a waiver of those rights "must be voluntarily, intelligently and knowingly made."
Horst, 28, Lisbon Road, was indicted in April on charges of aggravated vehicular homicide, a third-degree felony, and vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony. The indictment alleged that Horst caused the death of Mary A. Coss while operating a 2009 Chevy Silverado recklessly on Sept. 23, 2022 and caused serious physical harm to her husband, Leslie R. Coss.
Judge Megan Bickerton was assigned to handle the case. Horst remains out of jail on a recognizance bond.
According to the accident report, Leslie R. Coss, 83, Massillon, had turned his GMC Terrain onto state Route 172 from the Zepernick Lake parking lot and was traveling eastbound with his front-seat passenger, Mary Coss, 81, when the head-on collision occurred at 4:25 p.m. with the westbound pickup driven by Horst.
Mary Coss died at the scene. Leslie Coss suffered serious injuries and was flown to Canton Aultman Hospital by Stat MedEvac. Horst suffered minor injuries and was taken by EMT to Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Hospital.
The report said all were wearing seat belts and alcohol and/or drugs did not appear to be a factor.
According to Columbiana County Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino, Horst was apparently distracted by his cell phone, watching YouTube, when his truck came up over a hill and traveled left of center, causing the crash.
Leslie Coss passed away on Jan. 5 this year at the age of 83, according to an obituary posted online.
mgreier@mojonews.com