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LISBON -- The jury trial for a Niles man charged with aggravated vehicular homicide for a 2025 fatal crash in West Township has been moved to 9 a.m. March 16.
Michael James Scheuring, 40, appeared before Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton for a status hearing Monday morning, accompanied by his defense attorney, Rhys Cartwright-Jones.
Cartwright-Jones had recently filed a new motion for a continuance of the jury trial that had been set for Nov. 17, noting that money had been raised for the hiring of an expert and that would require more time for the expert to look at the case and write a report, which would need to be studied by both the defense and prosecution.
The prosecution, represented by county Assistant Prosecutor Alec Beech, did not object to the continuance, which the judge granted.
A final status hearing was set for 10 a.m. March 1.
Scheuring remains out of jail on a $75,000 recognizance bond.
The indictment against him alleged that on Oct. 11, 2025, while operating a 2025 International, he caused the death of Diane Lewallen, recklessly. The charge is a third-degree felony.
Diane Lyn Lewallen was 44 years old at the time of her death and lived in Monroe, Tenn. According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol report, a tanker truck driven by Scheuring was traveling east on state Route 172, West Township at 7:46 p.m. when he allegedly drove off the roadway to the right, overcorrected, crossed the center line, overturned and struck a westbound Ford Bronco driven by Lewallen and ran off the roadway to the left. The Lewallen vehicle ran off the roadway to the right and overturned.
Both Lewallen and her front seat passenger, who was her daughter and 17 at the time, were wearing seat belts. Both front and side airbags deployed for both Lewallen and her passenger. Lewallen had to be extricated, but died. The passenger wasn't trapped and was taken by Hanover Township EMS to Mercy Hospital in Canton for treatment of her injuries.
Scheuring was also injured and taken to Mercy Hospital in Canton by Minerva EMS. He was wearing a seat belt.
Bickerton previously denied defense motions for appropriation of $4,500 for a crash reconstructionist and a continuance.
The original defense motion for expert funds said the state's evidence includes interior and exterior video recordings, vehicle data, roadway measurements and crash reconstruction materials.
"Of particular significance, the interior video depicts defendant briefly looking toward his cellular telephone before the collision. The defense disputes whether this momentary distraction caused the accident. A substantial interval elapsed between defendant's glance toward the telephone and the collision, raising a material question concerning causation. Independent reconstruction would permit examination of the timing, distance traveled, vehicle dynamics, steering inputs and intervening events," the motion said.