Oct. 11, 2025, fatal crash in West Township
A Niles man pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony charge related to a two-vehicle crash in Columbiana County that killed a woman last fall.
Michael J. Scheuring, 39, appeared before Judge Megan L. Bickerton in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court for his arraignment. Scheuring is charged with one count of aggravated vehicular homicide, a third-degree felony.
The charge follows an investigation into a collision that occurred Oct. 11, 2025, in West Township. State troopers said Scheuring was driving a truck eastbound on state Route 172 at approximately 7:45 p.m. when the vehicle went off the right side of the road.
Investigators with the Ohio State Highway Patrol said Scheuring overcorrected, which caused his truck to cross the centerline and overturn. The vehicle then struck a westbound Ford Bronco driven by Diane Lewallen, 44, of Monroe, Tennessee.
The Columbiana County Coroner’s Office pronounced Lewallen dead at the scene. A 17-year-old passenger in Lewallen’s vehicle and Scheuring were both taken to a hospital in Canton for treatment of minor injuries.
During the Monday morning hearing, the court set a schedule for the remainder of the legal proceedings. Bickerton scheduled a final status hearing for Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. A jury trial is currently set to begin Nov. 17 at 9 a.m.
The case began in early April when a grand jury issued a secret indictment against Scheuring. He was later served with the indictment and released on a $75,000 bond.
Court records show that Scheuring’s attorney has already filed requests for evidence and a detailed statement of the facts from the prosecutor’s office. Under Ohio law, a third-degree felony conviction can result in a prison sentence and a mandatory driver’s license suspension.