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Waterford man facing charges for alleged drunk driving accident

A 66-year-old Waterford man pleaded not guilty to aggravated vehicular assault Wednesday before Washington County Common Pleas Court.

William B. L. Skinner, of 13760 Waterford Road faces three felony counts and one misdemeanor for allegedly striking the vehicle of another Waterford woman in February while drunk.

Skinner faces:

• Aggravated vehicular assault, a third-degree felony.

• Aggravated vehicular assault, a fourth-degree felony.

• Failure to stop after an accident, a fourth-degree felony.

• Operation of a motor vehicle while intoxicated or under the influence of drugs, a first-degree misdemeanor.

But Skinner’s hired counsel, Bob Toy, of Athens, filed a motion to dismiss all four counts Wednesday following Skinner’s plea of not guilty.

“He’s already pleaded to an underlying charge,” Toy told appointed Judge Randall Burnworth Wednesday.

Toy said following the Wednesday arraignment hearing that Skinner pleaded guilty to a first-degree misdemeanor OVI before Municipal Court Judge Janet Dyar Welch on April 18.

“(That) should have nulled any charges coming at the felony level,” he added.

Burnworth said Wednesday as he was leaving the courtroom that he had not yet decided to rule on the motion to dismiss.

Burnworth said mandatory prison terms and license suspensions accompany the felony charges if Skinner is found guilty, though the times vary surrounding maximums of five years.

The judge also granted the prosecution’s request that Skinner maintains no contact with the alleged victim Shelby Miller, 27, of Waterford.

According to Washington County Assistant Prosecutor David Silwani, Miller was driving a Kia SUV northbound on Ohio 339 when she was allegedly hit by Skinner’s Toyota Tundra on the forward driver’s side of her vehicle.

Silwani would not say what injuries Miller sustained in the accident.

The accident occurred around 8:32 p.m. on Feb. 7, according to the report filed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

Janelle Patterson can be reached at jpatterson@mariettatimes.com.

What’s next:

• Skinner’s counsel will call in for the case’s first pretrial hearing on Aug. 22.

• Skinner’s final pretrial hearing is scheduled for Oct. 25.

• Skinner’s trial is scheduled for Nov. 6.

Source: Washington County Common Pleas Court.

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