Hamilton woman to be sentenced after pleading guilty in serious crash

Edgewood High Schools junior Caila Nagel, left, and sophomore Savannah Schlueter were injured after their vehicle was involved in a crash May 6 in Fairfield. Samantha Harvey, the alleged at-fault driver, was charged with felonies. PROVIDED PHOTO

Edgewood High Schools junior Caila Nagel, left, and sophomore Savannah Schlueter were injured after their vehicle was involved in a crash May 6 in Fairfield. Samantha Harvey, the alleged at-fault driver, was charged with felonies. PROVIDED PHOTO

A Hamilton woman charged in May after a crash that injured two Edgewood students will be sentenced Wednesday in Butler County Common Pleas Court after pleading guilty in January.

Samantha Harvey, 52, of the 600 block of Woodlawn Avenue, was charged with two counts of aggravated vehicular assault, two counts of vehicular assault and misdemeanor charges of driving a vehicle under the influence and driving a vehicle under the influence of marijuana for the crash that happened about 3 a.m. May 6 near Ohio 4 and Symmes Road in Fairfield.

Then-Edgewood sophomore Savannah Schlueter, 16, who was driving, and then-junior Caila Nagel, 17, were seriously injured, according to school district officials.

Harvey pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated vehicular assault and vehicular assault, both felonies. She faces a maximum of 78 months in prison.

Assistant Butler County Prosecutor Kraig Chadrick noted in a sentencing recommendation that Harvey, who has been free on her own recognizance bond, has a significant criminal past, was driving at night with marijuana, methamphetamine and alcohol in her system and ran a red light traveling about 65 mph in a 35 mph zone.

“Most shockingly, after pleading guilty, (Harvey) attempted to throw herself a going to prison party at a bar, a clear indication that she does not get it and no rehabilitation efforts will be successful,” Chadrick wrote in the court document.

Harvey was recently convicted of aggravated assault in Hamilton County and placed on probation and has two previous convictions for OVI, Chadrick said.

The assistant prosecutor requested Harvey be sentenced to prison in the “upper end range” due to Harvey’s criminal history, impaired driving at the time of the crash, serious injuries to the teens and “the defendant’s complete lack of remorse.”

Defense attorney Michael Mills said in his motion asking for the judge to impose a lesser prison term that Harvey is a former small business owner who worked to overcome a number of issues that hindered her path to success in life, including domestic violence, drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness and a physical disability.

On the night of the crash, Harvey was cutting hair at her business, consumed alcohol and “had every intention of sleeping indoors at her shop till the next morning,” Mill said.

When Harvey received a call from her boyfriend demanding she return home, she left the salon because she did not want to cause “further domestic strife,” Mills said.

The attorney added Harvey acknowledges the seriousness of her crime and understands a lifelong commitment to maintaining her sobriety. Mills said Harvey did not participate in any alcohol-related celebration concerning her sentence. The Facebook event was organized by an acquaintance of Harvey’s.

“Ms. Harvey would not engage in such an activity and none occurred,” the attorney said.

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