Benjamin Sinz

A Karns City woman on Thursday told a county Common Pleas Court judge that she can no longer work in her fulfilling nursing job, play with her grandson, cook a decent meal, walk her dogs or shower every day because of the injuries she suffered when Benjamin Sinz of Chicora struck her vehicle head-on while he was drunk in February 2018.

Terri Saylor, 54, told Judge Timothy McCune about the surgeries she went through for the multiple injuries she suffered in the Feb. 17 crash on the 400 block of Main Street in Chicora, and the pain she still endures every day, before McCune sentenced Sinz, 27, to serve 72 hours to six months in the county prison.

Before the sentence was imposed, Sinz apologized to Saylor, accepted full responsibility for the collision and said he doesn't want to drink alcohol again.

He pleaded guilty to a felony charge of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence that were filed by state police following the crash. Another charge of DUI and five summary traffic violations were dismissed in a plea agreement.

Sinz was sentenced to pay a $1,000 fine, participate in alcohol highway safety school and the litter pickup program, and pay $947 in restitution to Saylor in addition to the jail term for the DUI charge, and 48 months probation with the first three months in jail, nine months of house arrest, drug and alcohol treatment and a $1,000 fine for the aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI charge.

Saylor told the court the accident occurred at 8:30 a.m. that day and has affected her entire family.

She said she used to work as a pediatric nurse, a career she found fulfilling, but her injuries have prevented her from returning to work.

The crash left her with a bile duct rupture, traumatic brain injury, two broken bones in her back, broken ribs, a crushed hip, a hole in her abdominal wall and a crushed foot that required bones to be surgically fused together, Saylor said.

She said she has pain every day, can't shower every day, can't stand up long enough to “cook a decent meal,” can't walk her dogs and can only watch as her husband fishes, rides ATVs and plays with her grandson.

“My heart is so broken because I can't participate. ... I can't give 100%. It was taken away from me,” Saylor said.

Sinz said he is remorseful for the crash, and that his irresponsibility caused injuries.

“I take full responsibility,” Sinz said.

He said he has been in a treatment program for three years.

“I have no desire to drink alcohol ever again,” Sinz said.