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Driver gets jail time for state Route 45 crash that ended a life

LISBON -- Before passing sentence in a vehicular homicide case Thursday, Columbiana County Municipal Court Judge Danielle Menning said she took into consideration the defendant's life of service as a teacher, coach and veteran.

Then she sent Anthony L. Thornabar to jail for 140 days, suspended his license for four years, fined him $500 and placed him on probation for two years for taking the life of Trevor Lee Reed, 44, of Salem in a 2023 traffic crash.

"There is not a sentence the court can impose that will make the life of the victim's family whole," she said.

Thornabar, 39, Spencer, W.Va., had been scheduled to face a jury trial but instead entered a plea of no contest to vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter, both misdemeanors. Menning found him guilty, listened to the victim's father, daughter and aunt describe their loss and heard from Thornabar and his attorney, Chris Amato, before immediately issuing the sentence.

Thornabar was accused of causing the Jan. 30, 2023 crash which led to Trevor Reed's Jan. 31, 2023 death at Mercy Health St. Elizabeth Hospital in Youngstown. The crash investigation found Thornabar at fault for failing to stop or yield prior to entering the intersection of state Route 45 from Teegarden Road. He was eastbound in a 2021 Dodge Ram pickup when he crossed state Route 45 and was struck by a southbound 2012 Nissan Altima driven by Reed, who had the right of way. Reed's car rotated and struck a guardrail and Thornabar's pickup went off of the road, vaulted over a guardrail and over an embankment, striking a group of trees.

Menning sentenced him to 180 days in the county jail, which was the maximum he could face, then suspended 40 days, leaving 140 days to serve.

Amato had requested community control instead of jail time, saying "I don't think jail would serve any purpose for Mr. Thornabar." He added that he's been teaching the youth of America, he served his country for eight years in the U.S. Army and "he's truly sorry for what happened."

After the sentence, he again said he was hoping for community control and rattled off all the medical issues Thornabar suffers from, including PTSD from getting blown up in Afghanistan. He said he's 100% disabled, on 15 medications and asked if he could just serve his time on weekends at the jail, saying "he's shown great remorse."

Menning denied the motion, saying that's not something that can be done. She said it's a sad situation and a hard case. Then Amato asked if Thornabar could have one week to report to jail so he could talk with his kids and make arrangements, saying he's not a flight risk.

County Assistant Prosecutor Alec Beech said the victim's family would be opposed to that and the judge denied the request. Thornabar was placed into handcuffs, a belly chain and leg chains and led out of the courtroom.

Trevor's aunt, Linda Snyder, of Columbiana, said after the hearing, "We wish it could have been more time of course."

"Just glad he got something," his daughter, Mia Reed, of Madison, said, with Snyder adding, "We're glad he got something. We're glad he got his license taken away for awhile."

Mia commented that accidents happen, but "accidents have consequences."

"There has to be justice somehow," Snyder said.

Snyder's sister, Barbara, was Trevor's mother and suffered from multiple sclerosis for 43 years before passing away in 2007. Trevor was her only son and was described as her light. His father, Tinker Reed, who lives in Calcutta, said his son always wanted to be a painter and he enjoyed being with the kids. Trevor was the father of two daughters and a son, with Mia the youngest. He coached his daughters in T-ball and softball.

He had recently moved back to the area from California when the accident happened.

Victim advocate Tori Bowersock read a statement from Tinker Reed during the sentencing hearing, and both Snyder and Mia addressed the court. All three talked about the life events Trevor has missed and will continue to miss, such as attending Mia's high school graduation, walking his daughters down the aisle when they get married and someday becoming a grandfather the grandchildren will only know through photographs and stories.

"He had a lot of life yet to live," Snyder said.

Beech said he was a son, he was a father and he was a nephew. His life was cut short.

But that loss became a gain for some other families because Trevor was an organ donor. His lungs helped a man in need of a double lung transplant who's still going strong after three years. His liver helped another person, one kidney went to an older woman and the other kidney went to a 4-year-old boy who now runs and plays. His corneas were also donated.

Tinker Reed was still dealing with the loss of his wife, Barbara, when he lost Trevor. He said the family continues to struggle with Trevor's absence and that loss changed his life forever.

Snyder said she didn't realize it would take this long for justice and kind of wished the trial had happened so the defendant would have to look at the photographs and see the damage he did, to see Trevor's face and to face his family.

Mia showed the court several photos, some with her dad when she was little and then more recent photos he should have been in but wasn't due to his death, such as her prom and high school graduation. The accident happened the same day that she had attended her cousin's funeral, who was also killed in an accident.

Mia said her dad always protected her and her sister.

"I know he would have really been proud of me," she said.

She told Thornabar, "You have to realize what you've taken away."

Amato had Thornabar take the witness stand to talk. He said this was purely an accident with no intent. Thornabar didn't remember a lot of detail from that day, he was also injured, but he kept in contact with the trooper and he freely gave his blood and asked about the victim and wanted to speak with the family back then to say how sorry he was.

"I give my deepest sympathies to your family," he said, apologizing and saying he understood their pain.

He didn't know about the arrest warrant when it was first issued, but as soon as he did, he wanted to face it. A U.S. Army veteran of eight years, he served in both Afghanistan and Iraq and earned numerous awards, including the Bronze Star, and was awarded the Purple Heart after being injured in a bomb attack. He was medically discharged and is currently a teacher in the West Virginia Future Leaders program and also is the director for a travel baseball organization. He's the father of three children, a son who's a senior, a 15-year-old daughter and an 18-month-old toddler. He also shared with the judge a video of him being interviewed for a scholarship program.

Thornabar said he had never been on that road before and was following his gps.

At the intersection, Teegarden Road has a posted stop sign and painted stop bar to control traffic through the intersection, while traffic on state Route 45 does not have to stop and has the right of way. There have been multiple crashes at that intersection over the years and just this year two Stat MedEvac helicopters landed on the highway in response to a crash.

Snyder said she contacted the Ohio Department of Transportation after Trevor's crash about doing something to make the intersection safer, such as a flashing light or the flashing lights on the stop signs, but said she didn't get much of a response.

She doesn't want another family to go through what they've endured.