Man changes plea in fatal crash case

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

A man accused of causing a fatal accident that claimed the lives of two Van Wert County men last fall has changed his plea from not guilty to no contest.

Timothy Kiester, 61, of Berrien Springs, Michigan, was charged with two counts of vehicular manslaughter, both second degree misdemeanors. He changed his plea during a hearing in Van Wert Municipal Court on January 14. His bond was continued and Judge Jill T. Worthington ordered a pre-sentence investigation, then scheduled sentencing for 1 p.m. Wednesday, February 26. The maximum penalty on each charge is up to 90 days in jail, a $750 fine and a mandatory license suspension of six months to three years.

The charges are tied to a fatal crash that occurred October 21 on U.S. 127 near Hickory Sticks Golf Course in Van Wert. A report from the Van Wert Post of the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Kiester was operating a 2016 Cheverolet Silverado that was hauling a camper, and allegedly failed to maintain assured clear distance ahead. His truck struck the rear of a 2016 Ford Focus driven by Zachary J. Wood, 30, of Convoy. The impact forced Wood’s car into the path of a semi-truck driven by Christopher Poland, 33, of Niles.

Wood and a passenger, Logan G. Elder, 29, of Van Wert, were pronounced dead at the scene.