LORAIN, Ohio — Months after a fatal single-car crash in Lorain, police have announced the arrest of a 24-year-old Vermilion man who was driving the vehicle.
Nicholas Fenik is facing a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide in connection to the crash that took the life of his passenger, 28-year-old Trent Neal, on June 17, 2023.
The crash happened at approximately 10:35 p.m. on Kolbe Road near Rossi Way. Investigators say Fenik "failed to operate his 2005 Dodge Neon SRT with reasonable control" as he and Neal were heading from a birthday party to another friend's house. The vehicle was going north on Kolbe Road, passed Oakcrest Drive, then failed to negotiate a curve in the roadway. The car struck a culvert and overturned, coming to rest in the front yard of a residence in the 4100 block of Kolbe Road.
Fenik sustained serious injuries and was transported to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center. Neal was life-flighted to MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland, where he later died from his injuries.
"The investigation concluded that Nicholas Fenik failed to operate his 2005 Dodge Neon SRT with reasonable control in a diminished driving environment, resulting in him leaving the roadway, colliding with a concrete culvert, and rolling over," Lorain police wrote in a release announcing the arrest. "Contributing to the severity of the crash was the Dodge Neon's high impact velocity as a result of Fenik's operation in willful or wanton disregard for public safety. Also contributing to the crash was Fenik's recent consumption of alcohol, which diminished his ability to operate his motor vehicle safely."
"Due to his reckless actions, Fenik killed his front-seat passenger, Trent Neal, and seriously injured himself."
Fenik was taken to the Lorain County Jail without bond, pending his initial arraignment. However, his legal problems may not be over.
"Adding insult to injury is the danger that Fenik still poses to the motoring public today by drinking and driving and then posting it to social media," said Sgt. Kyle Gelenius, the investigating traffic reconstructionist, added in the release.
Gelenius says the case remains open, and additional charges are being considered against Fenik and others involved in the case who obstructed the police investigation.
"The Lorain Police Department hopes that we as a department can help prevent tragedies like this one from occurring in the future. What the data tells us is that in 45% of all fatal crashes, the drivers of passenger vehicles were engaged in at least one of the following risky behaviors: speeding, alcohol impairment, and not wearing a seat belt. In this case, speeding and alcohol consumption were the prevalent factors leading to this fatal crash," Gelenius added.
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