Driver in interstate crash involving trooper sentenced
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An Akron man who hit an Ohio State Highway Patrol trooper on Interstate 77 last year was sentenced Monday morning to 180 days in the Washington County Jail.
David A. Midcap, 55, of 2318 19th St., pleaded to a bill of information in February to assault on a police officer and aggravated vehicular assault, both fourth-degree felonies.
On March 15, 2019, Sgt. Eric Knowlton, 41, of Marietta, initiated a traffic stop on a pickup truck around 7:30 a.m.
“Exactly one year and a day ago, I sustained career and life changing injuries that will affect me forever,” he said in court Monday.
Washington County Prosecutor Nicole Coil said during the stop, Knowlton found the driver of the truck, Kaycie Hanson, 22, of Wilmington, N.C., had a suspended driver’s license. He asked her to sit in the back of his cruiser while he finished the citation.
Shortly after, the patrol car was hit by an 80,000-pound semi-truck driven by Midcap, who was traveling southbound on Interstate 77. He also hit the pickup truck where Hanson’s husband, Matthew Henry, 21, of Camp Lejeune, N.C., was still sitting.
After striking the vehicles, the semi drove over a concrete culvert in the median, into the northbound lane of Interstate 77. He went off the left side of the highway onto the exit ramp to the northbound rest area, striking the curb and guardrail. Midcap said at the time he was traveling northbound when a tire blew out.
Coil said Midcap claimed he had went to bed around 7 or 8 p.m. the night before. His phone showed activity from 11 p.m. until 3 a.m. the day of the crash.
“Based on the foregoing, the facts of this case are much more egregious than the typical situation of a driver becoming sleepy at the wheel,” she said.
A witness saw Midcap’s truck swerving multiple times before the collision.
“David Midcap knew, or should have known, that such a collision was beyond a mere possibility, it was near certainty given his prior sleep deprivation,” Coil said. “Despite this knowledge, David Midcap chose to continue to drive his truck. This is beyond inexcusable negligence, this is criminal recklessness.”
Knowlton was visibly emotional as he made a statement about how the collision impacted his life.
“This seriously affected my career, personal life, physical abilities and mental well-being,” he said, noting he suffered a fractured right ankle, fractured left fibula at his knee and a puncture wound to his arm.
He said he had just received his new bulletproof vest two days before. The company had to replace the vest, as its integrity had been compromised from the impact of the crash.
“I can only compare this to being struck by a bullet, which I have never been shot, but in this case, it was an 80,000-pound bullet,” he explained.
He was off work for two months and had six months of light duty and physical therapy. He also suffered mental stress, he said.
“My children found out about the accident through social media,” he said, before handing his statement to Washington County Assistant Prosecutor David Silwani to finish reading to the court when he became emotional.
Attorney Ray Smith said Midcap had no criminal record and was a U.S. Army veteran. He has not driven a truck since the collision and was upset that there were no rumble strips that would have hopefully woken him up.
“Everybody was lucky, we were all lucky nobody died that day,” Midcap said. He said he tried to stop the truck, but it wouldn’t stop.
“What happened that day I’ve got no explanation for. I apologize for everything that happened,” he said. “I’m not a bad person and I didn’t have any intent to cause an accident like this. I’m just glad nobody died that day.”
Washington County Common Pleas Judge Randall Burnworth said it was almost inconceivable that anyone lived through the accident.
“I think everybody in the room is glad that nobody died that day,” he said.
Along with the 180 days in jail, he received two years of community control and his license is suspended for two years. Midcap was booked Monday, but won’t have to report to the jail until May 29 due to the coronavirus.
Michele Newbanks can be reached at mnewbanks@mariettatimes.com.
At a glance:
• David Midcap, 55, of Akron, was sentenced to 180 days in jail for assault on a peace officer and aggravated vehicle assault.
• He pleaded guilty to a bill of information to the fourth-degree felonies on Feb. 3.
• Midcap was arrested after a March 2019 accident in which he struck vehicles that were pulled over for a traffic stop on Interstate 77.
• Ohio State Highway Patrol Sgt. Eric Knowlton was injured in the accident.
Source: Washington County Court of Common Pleas.