Brandt Saunders, 24, of Minerva, has been sentenced to 8.5 to 11 years in prison for his role in a fatal motorcycle crash that occurred on October 26. The sentence was handed down by Judge Christine Croce in Summit County Common Pleas Court on July 29.
Saunders, whose listed address is 104 South Market St, Minerva, accepted a plea deal late last month, pleading guilty to charges including aggravated vehicular homicide, possession of cocaine, operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and failure to comply with a police officer. The charges stem from an incident in which Saunders, while driving a motorcycle with a female passenger, fled from a police officer at high speeds in New Franklin.
According to authorities, a New Franklin police officer attempted to stop the motorcycle on Manchester Road at Johns Road after observing it traveling at 90 mph. Saunders, however, disregarded the signal and continued westbound on Johns Road. The officer eventually discontinued the pursuit for safety reasons but later found the motorcycle crashed at the dead end of Johns Road. The passenger, identified as 40-year-old Roseann Mauk of Coventry Township, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Saunders fled the scene on foot and was later located by law enforcement using a drone. He was found hiding in nearby woods and was subsequently arrested and transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
In addition to the prison sentence, Saunders was fined $1,500, received two lifetime driver’s license suspensions, and was ordered to serve up to three years of parole upon release.
