A truck driver was sentenced Monday to 18 months in jail for a November 2023 crash on Interstate 70 in Licking County that left six people dead.
In May, Jacob McDonald was found guilty by Licking County Common Pleas Judge David Branstool of six counts of misdemeanor vehicular homicide and 11 counts of misdemeanor assault.
During sentencing Monday, Branstool gave McDonald credit for time served. McDonald has already served 323 days in jail.
McDonald, 61, was originally charged with more serious charges, including felony aggravated vehicular homicide and felony vehicular assault charges, which would have carried more severe penalties. Branstool did not convict McDonald on those charges.
The six people who died in the crash were John Mosley, 18, Jeffery Worrell, 18, Katelyn Owens, 15, Dave Kennat, 56, Kristy Gaynor, 39, and Shannon Wigfield, 46. Mosley, Worrell and Owens were members of the Tuscarawas Valley Local Schools High School marching band. Kennat and Gaynor were parent chaperones and Wigfield was an English teacher.
The courtroom heard victim statements from over half a dozen people whose family members were killed in the crash or were injured.
McDonald kept his head bowed for most of the trial and most of the victim statements. It wasn't until Lisa Heuser, who was Shannon Wigfield's sister, called McDonald out that he looked at the speakers.
"We couldn't even have an open gasket at her funeral to be able to see her and say goodbye. That is because of you, and you can't even look at me right now," she said.
Heuser said it was a choice for McDonald to not be paying attention to the road before the crash occurred.
"You took the lives of six people, including three children. The victims of families will never be the same, never. Unless you've suffered this amount of loss, you have no idea what we're going through," Heuser said.
Four members of Wigfield's family spoke at the sentencing. They spoke of her life and what she will miss after her death.
Susan Abbuhl, Wigfield's mother, spoke as her other daughter Lisa held her hand.
"A parent should never have to bury a child. It's not natural. It's not right. But it happens. Shannon was like no other," Abbuhl said.
Some of the victims' family members chose to shame McDonald for his actions and Licking County Judge David Branstool for his verdict.
Shawna Fortune's daughter was on the bus and and survived the crash. She wanted Branstool to draw a "legal line in the sand" with his verdict and punish McDonald as a message to other truck drivers.
"Weakness, not courage, was shown by the court, your honor. We still believe in the power of the justice system to create meaningful change, but it won't be with this court," Fortune said. "We shall turn to more competent means to make change and to make an example of Jacob McDonald. The Tusky Valley Six will not have died in vain."
After hearing from each, McDonald spoke for the first time during the trial.
"I'm very sorry that this happened. I have no clue what happened. I'm not going to lie to you and say I did," McDonald said. "I pray every night to God, I do, for every single one y'all and everybody involved in this accident, I do."
"And you can't say that I have no remorse because I have very much remorse. Every day that I live, I have remorse, every day that I shall live I will have remorse," McDonald said.
The Cooper Elliott law firm today released a statement on behalf of Wigfield's family:
"While we respect the court’s decision, today’s sentence was difficult for Shannon Wigfield’s family to accept. A total of 18 months in prison for a crash that took six lives, including a cherished mother and teacher, is inadequate," the statement said. "We are thankful, however, that the court acknowledged Mr. McDonald’s responsibility. This tragedy was completely avoidable."
When issuing the verdict in May, Branstool said he found McDonald criminally responsible for the collision, but said that the prosecution failed to establish beyond a reasonable doubt the element of recklessness, which would have elevated the charges to a felony. He instead said McDonald was negligent, not reckless.
In addition to the prison time, McDonald's license will be suspended for five years. His attorney Chris Brigdon says he's unlikely to work as a truck driver again.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
