MASSILLON – An 82-year-old Stark County woman avoided jail time but is now banned from driving for killing a motorcyclist in 2024.
The woman was driving a car July 8, 2024, that investigators said went across the center line on state Rt. 21 and struck an oncoming motorcycle driven by Rodney W. Kandel, 47, of the Millersburg area.
Wanda Solon, 82, of Bethlehem Township, pleaded no contest in Massillon Municipal Court on July 10 to one count of vehicular manslaughter, a second-degree misdemeanor, and a single count of “lanes of travel on roadway,” a minor misdemeanor, according to the city Law Department.
Kandel died from his injuries after being thrown from his motorcycle. A female passenger on Kandel’s motorcycle was also transported to an area hospital for treatment.
Solon must do 100 hours of community service, pay a $500 fine, serve a lifetime driving suspension and be on probation for five years, said assistant city Prosecutor Bailey Ricci. Solon’s community service is to be done in the Navarre area.
Ninety days of jail time was suspended upon the completion of Solon’s probation terms. She was not injured in the collision.
Kandel was operating a 2011 Harley Davidson motorcycle south on state Route 21 near Crestline Street SW in the township when the two vehicles collided.
Solon was driving a 2011 Honda CR-V north on Route 21 and drove across the center line, colliding head-on with the motorcycle, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.
This article originally appeared on The Independent: Stark County woman, 82, loses driver’s license for head-on crash that killed motorcyclist
Reporting by Massillon Independent / The Independent
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
