NEW MIDDLETOWN, Ohio - The driver in an OVI crash that claimed the life of a mother and her son, and injured her other son has learned his fate.

Judge R. Scott Krichbaum handed 65-year-old Walter Bolt an indefinite sentence of eight to 12 years in prison for two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, one count of aggravated vehicular assault and one count of OVI.

He will also serve one-and-a-half years of probation, and his driver's licence has been suspended for the rest of his life.

Family members of the victims said they wanted him to be sentenced to more time. 

“He practically got away with murder I mean he killed two people,” Randy Daff, Jason and Jayden’s father said. “I have to go to the cemetery for more than eight years.”

Randy explained he and his other children are all still coping with the loss and feels life has a little less meaning with Angela and Jason gone. 

“I wake up everyday, everyday panic attacks everyday, I have to take medicine to keep my mental health straight,” Randy said. 

“Just the trauma it’s caused us all not even counting the physical and traumatized Jayden and eight and 12 years is definitely not enough,” Peyton Daff, the sister of Jason and daughter of Angela said. 

Bolt was involved in an OVI crash on State Route 170 in New Middletown in March of 2023. That crash claimed the lives of 44-year-old Angela Brown and her son, 15-year-old Jason Daff.

Brown's 12-year-old son Jayden Daff was also seriously injured but survived. He sat in the courtroom while still dealing with memory loss and broken bones related to the crash. 

Bolt sat in front of the judge in a wheelchair from his injuries saying he was sorry for what he did and this is a burden he’ll carry for the rest of his life. 

The judge noted that Bolt has no criminal history, has shown remorse and that he served as a veteran when deciding the sentence.

“The hardest part for me is yeah he was a veteran at one point but that was however long ago and I will forever know him as the drunk driver that killed by mom and brother,” Taylor Daff another family member said noting Randy's veteran status as well. 

Bolt's BAC was determined to be .215, which is more than double the legal limit of .08. Police also found open containers of alcohol in Bolt's vehicle.

Mahoning County Prosecutor Lynn Maro thanked the Springfield Township Police Department, as well as the Ohio State Highway Patrol for their work in this case, leading to a successful prosecution.

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