LISBON — Retired Wayne County Common Pleas Court Judge Mark Wiest was recently appointed by the Ohio Supreme Court to oversee the wrongful death lawsuit filed against Columbiana County, the sheriff and two deputies over a fatal crash.

Gerald Jackson, 42, of Columbiana, also named as a defendant, was the driver sentenced to prison for 15 years nine months for causing the death of Jennifer Hunley and injuring her son when he crashed a stolen vehicle after being pursued by a sheriff’s deputy in 2023.

Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judges Scott Washam and Megan Bickerton both recused themselves from hearing the case due to conflicts.

Jackson was sentenced a year ago for charges of first-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide, second-degree felony aggravated vehicular assault, third-degree felony failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer, fourth-degree felonies of grand theft of a motor vehicle and two counts of receiving stolen property, fifth-degree felony vandalism and misdemeanor operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them. Besides receiving prison time, his driver’s license was suspended for life.

Joseph Leone, administrator of Hunley’s estate, Crestview Road, Leetonia, and Robert Crozier, custodial parent of Daryn Crozier, Hunley’s minor son, Jacobsburg, filed the complaint in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court against Jackson, Columbiana County, care of county Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino, Columbiana County Sheriff Brian McLaughlin, Deputy Robert Vukovich who was pursuing Jackson, and Sgt. Brian Deack, his supervisor.

Prosecutors alleged that Jackson was involved in a three-county crime spree when he crashed a stolen Chevy Silverado and hit Hunley’s vehicle head-on, seriously injuring both her and her son, who was 11 at the time. Hunley, who was 47, died from her injuries on Sept. 18, 2023.

The lawsuit made claims of misconduct by Jackson, and misconduct by the Columbiana County employees named in the complaint as defendants due to the pursuit, alleging the pursuit was at speeds in excess of the policy permitted by the county’s pursuit standards on roads that were wet, slippery, narrow and twisting. Monetary damages are being sought.