Aurora man pleads guilty in crash that killed two on motorcycle
An Aurora man is awaiting sentencing following his guilty pleas in a crash that killed a man and woman on a motorcycle in April.
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Portage County Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci said Nicholas A. Monachino, 26, pleaded guilty in Portage County Court of Common Pleas Wednesday to two counts of second-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide in the deaths of Ryan J. Tucholsky, 29, and Sara R. Tartaglio, 40, both of Aurora. Monachino also pleaded guilty to single counts of third-degree felony failure to stop after an accident and first-degree misdemeanor operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol.
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Sentencing has not been scheduled.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol's Ravenna Post said it received a call to respond to state Route 82 at Cochran Road in Aurora at 6:52 p.m. April 29 after an eastbound 2016 Infiniti Q50 driven by Monachino struck the rear of an eastbound 2007 Yamaha motorcycle.
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Tucholsky, the motorcycle's driver, and Tartaglio, the passenger, were both thrown from the motorcycle. Tartaglio was taken to UH Twinsburg Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead about an hour after the crash. Tucholsky was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Akron and died on May 3.
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According to their obituaries, Tartaglio had two sons and Tucholsky was the "dearest friend of many including his many furry rescued pets."
Tucholsky and Tartaglio were wearing helmets at the time of the crash, the highway patrol said.
Monachino drove away from the scene, but other motorists who witnessed the crash followed him to his Pioneer Trail and notified police, according to a highway patrol crash report. No injuries were reported to Monachino and he was taken to the Portage County Jail, said the highway patrol.
The report said Monachino had blood alcohol content of s 0.175%, more than twice the 0.08% legal limit, and there was evidence of spilled alcohol in the vehicle.
Monachino has been held in the jail on a $1.5 million bond. As part of a plea deal, additional charges in a grand jury indictment were dismissed, including two counts of third-degree felony aggravated vehicular homicide, a second count of operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol and single counts of operating a vehicle under the influence of drugs or alcohol and operating a vehicle under the influence of marijuana, both first-degree misdemeanors, and minor misdemeanor assured clear distance ahead.
Reporter Jeff Saunders can be reached at jsaunders@recordpub.com.
This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: Aurora man pleads guilty in crash that killed two on motorcycle
