CLEVELAND — An Avon Lake man who was accused of striking a construction worker on Interstate 90 in Westlake last year has agreed to plead guilty.
3News has learned Rolando Rodriguez, 51, admitted on Monday to one count of aggravated vehicular assault and one count of having physical control of a vehicle while under the influence on the day his case was supposed to go to trial. As part of the plea agreement, two additional charges of aggravated vehicular assault were dropped, along with more serious charges of driving under the influence and failure to stop after an accident.
It was early in the morning on June 20, 2023, when police say Richard Szymkowski was helping his construction company set up a work zone on I-90 west near Columbia Road. As this occurred, Rodriguez struck Szymkowski with his Toyota FJ Cruiser.
Szymkowski was hospitalized with serious injuries, with his friend Sara Niemann telling WKYC he suffered a skull fracture that needed 17 sutures, internal bleeding, and two broken legs "from the knee down, one including a compound fracture." Hours after the crash, authorities used license plate readers and other technology to locate Rodriguez's damaged SUV and arrest him.
Rodriguez has been out of jail since posting 10% of a $50,000 bond, which was continued following his July indictment with Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Kathleen Ann Sutula ordering he be monitored via GPS. A search of court records did not show a prior felony history for Rodriguez.
Per officials, the plea hearing will be continued until Tuesday morning, when a sentencing date will be set. Rodriguez still potentially faces multiple years in prison.
3News has not received an update on Szymkowski's condition since the incident.