Photo Illustration

An Ohio man who was driving a moving truck carrying his family and more than 30 reptiles when it overturned in 2023 in Washington County has been indicted on multiple charges, including aggravated vehicular assault, cruelty to animals, and child endangerment.

Davaughn Marice Strader, 39, of 477 Grant St., Apt. 304, Akron, was one of 10 individuals indicted this week by the Washington County Grand Jury.

According to court records, Strader, who was initially indicted in 2024, was reindicted on seven counts related to the July 6, 2023, crash near mile marker 9 on Interstate 77 in Marietta. At the time, Strader was driving a U-Haul truck during a move when the vehicle flipped, spilling its contents – including furniture and more than 30 reptiles – onto the roadway.

Strader faces the following charges:

– Count One: Aggravated vehicular assault, a second-degree felony. Prosecutors allege Strader caused serious physical harm while driving under the influence of drugs and with a suspended license.

– Count Two: Vehicular assault, a third-degree felony, for allegedly causing serious physical harm to an adult passenger through reckless operation while under suspension.

– Counts Three and Four: Cruelty to companion animals, fifth-degree felonies. The indictment cites serious physical harm to snakes, including ocular damage from poor shedding conditions and general neglect.

– Counts Five and Six: Two counts of endangering children, both first-degree misdemeanors. Prosecutors say Strader created a substantial risk to juveniles in the vehicle by operating it under the influence and in violation of his duty of care.

– Count Seven: Operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol (OVI), a first-degree misdemeanor.

Troopers with the Ohio State Highway Patrol contacted Adrienne Love, founder of the local reptile sanctuary For Goodness Snakes8, to assist with the recovery of the reptiles. She recovered 32 ball pythons, one boa imperator, and two leopard geckos from the scene.

“All of the animals that we recovered were covered in mites,” Love said. “The two geckos made it, and they actually were adopted out.”

Love said the snakes later died from inclusion body disease, a fatal neurological condition linked to unsanitary conditions and mite infestations. She described the animals’ housing as inadequate, with containers soiled by waste and conditions that likely contributed to respiratory infections and stuck sheds.

Other indictments included:

-Larry Eugene Swiger, 43, Belpre; two counts of domestic violence, one a third-degree felony, one a first-degree misdemeanor, between April 16-20.

-Luticia Lynn Babb, 41, 375 Main Street, Waterford; one count of trespass in a habitation when a person is present or likely to be present, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of criminal trespass, a fourth-degree misdemeanor, from May 4.

-Ryan Nickolas Cline, 23, 630 Bird St., Parkersburg; one count of aggravated possession of drugs, a fifth-degree felony, from April 2024.

-Richard Keith Davidson, 57, 9590 Hazelgreen Road, Smithville, W.Va.; one count of possession of a fentanyl-related compound, a fifth-degree felony, from December 2024.

-Samantha Raelle Park, 32, 117 Main St., Belpre; one count of having weapons while under disability, a third-degree felony; one count of obstructing official business, a fifth-degree felony; and one count of inducing panic, a first-degree misdemeanor, from April 3.

-James Michael O’Neill, 33, 6678 Ravenna Ave. – SE, Waynesburg, Ohio; one count of theft from a person in a protected class, a fourth-degree felony; and one count of theft, a fifth-degree felony, from April 2024.

-Kevin Anthony Morris, 41, 460 Barrett South Road, Vincent; one count of pandering sexually-oriented matter involving a minor or impaired person, a second-degree felony; and one count of illegal use of minor or impaired person in nudity-oriented material or performance, a fifth-degree felony, from January 2021 – January 2022.

-Amy Jo Taylor, 44, 1527 Briarwood Ave., Columbus; one count of failure to appear as required by recognizance, a fourth-degree felony, from June 3.

– The grand jury also decided not to return a true bill against an individual regarding allegations of burglary and violating a protection order.