A woman who failed sobriety tests after causing a fatal traffic accident that killed a 55-year old woman and left that woman’s father critically injured, was sentenced to 12 years in prison on Tuesday in Dayton
The accident occurred on August 26, 2011 when Tyner was driving northbound on Salem Avenue in a Ford Expedition at around noon. She collided head-on with David Ross, and his passenger and daughter Kathleen Saunders in his Oldsmobile. Attorney Mark Deters told Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge Gregory F. Singer that Tyner had no prior record of drunk driving and had led “a relatively law abiding life.”
Judge Singer sentenced 41 year old Alicia Sonji Tyner of Trotwood to 12 years in prison, commanded a lifetime license suspension and ordered her to pay $93,000 in restitution. Tyner did not have auto insurance at the time of the accident. A jury convicted Tyner on August 17 of four counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, two counts of vehicular assault and one count of tampering with evidence.
David Ross’s son Steve Ross and Kathleen Saunder’s son Thomas Mullenax were available to give victim impact statements. Ross explained to the judge that Saunders moved to Dayton to care for their dying mother, and that when their mother died she remained to care for their father. Now, their father is nearly immobile and they are left paying for his care because Tyner did not have insurance. They will soon have to sell his house.
“My father has lost his will to live,” Ross said. “Please keep in mind Ms. Tyner will someday walk out of prison. My father and sister will never walk again.”