Husband of woman killed in Southern Park Mall crash wants tougher law
A Florida man has pleaded guilty in a deadly crash that killed a Berlin Center woman last November in the parking lot of the Southern Park Mall. Matthew Wilson pleaded guilty on Thursday to vehicular homicide. Prosecutors say Wilson had a seizure while driving a pickup truck, causing him to hit Judy Dailey, 65, outside the JCPenney story on November 29. Prosecutors said Wilson has a condition that makes him prone to seizures but willingly stopped taking his medication. Witnesses t...
The man accused of hitting and killing a woman in the parking lot of the Southern Park Mall made a surprise guilty plea on Thursday morning.
But the family of 65-year-old Judy Dailey is demanding justice that extends far beyond the courtroom.
Matthew Wilson of Florida appeared to show now emotion as he stood before Mahoning County Common Pleas Court Judge John Durkin.
Wilson withdrew his former plea of not guilty and pled guilty to one count of vehicular homicide in the death of the Berlin Center woman.
Vehicular homicide in this case is a misdemeanor charge that could send Wilson to jail for 180 days.
Dailey was hit and killed in the parking lot of the Southern Park Mall just outside of JC Penneys last November.
She was a wife of 46 years, a mother of four children, and a grandmother to seven.
Dailey's husband Charles is outraged that the fatal crash that killed the love of his life comes with so little jail time, "I feel like he's getting away with a slap on the wrist. Take someone else's life and knowingly not take his medication and he endangers everyone else on the road. He's playing Russian Roulette, and at any time he could have a seizure and it can happen again."
Boardman Police confirmed that Wilson did have a seizure and that was the cause of the deadly accident, but Wilson willingly admitted to authorities that he stopped taking medication that would have controlled those seizures.
Just hours before hitting and killing Judy Dailey he was in another courtroom for an OVI.
"He had an 8:30 AM I believe -- it was a court appointment in Portage County. They did not take away his license he left there and at approximately 11:06 AM he struck and killed my wife," Charles Dailey said.
The victim's family wrote a letter to the Portage County judge to make her aware of what happened after he left her courtroom, "Yes I wrote a letter, I wrote a letter to her explaining what happened here. To not cut him any leniency if he didn't fulfill his sentencing obligations he had to do up there. It's only right."
Just weeks after hitting and killing Judy Dailey sources say Wilson moved down to Florida and was able to obtain a Florida's driver's license.
However, Florida authorities took action against Wilson's driving privileges when they learned a judge in Portage County has now suspended his license through September of 2017.
"How can someone do this and get away with it," Charles Dailey wants to know.
Wilson will be sentenced on August 9th at 10 AM and could receive the maximum penalty of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
But for the victim's family it will never be enough, "I'm not satisfied with it at all," the victim's husband said.
Dailey, his daughter Kimberly Harvey and others are standing together saying the law needs to change.
The victim's family says while they respect everyone's privacy when it comes to medical issues, seizures or any other disorder that could put someone else's life in danger when you choose to drive against doctor's order, should require some form of medical clearance to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and it should be clearly stated on your driver's license.
Judge Durkin continued Wilson's bond until his sentencing day and as Wilson left the courtroom and walked past the family of the victim, Judy Dailey's husband yelled, "That's the guy that killed my wife."
Wilson and his attorney did not respond.