Truck driver who killed four on Christmas Eve now faces felony homicide charges; misdemeanor case dropped
SHELBY COUNTY, Ohio - The truck driver accused of killing four Livingston County residents during a crash on Christmas Eve has now been charged with five felony counts of aggravated vehicular homicide after a grand jury returned an indictment this past week.
The driver, Dayren Rocubert, 29, of Hialeah, Florida, previously pleaded no contest in Sidney Municipal Court to a single misdemeanor charge of vehicular homicide. Four counts of misdemeanor vehicular homicide and a count of failing to maintain control of a vehicle were dropped in the plea deal.
Rocubert had been scheduled for sentencing in March, however, after the plea took place in Sidney, Ohio, Municipal Court, Shelby County Prosecuting Attorney Timothy Sell said he received a toxicology report that indicated the driver was under the influence of methamphetamine, cocaine and amphetamines. Sell then sent the case to a grand jury.
"When law enforcement responded initially, they believed that to be a terrible accident. Just another truck that lost control. In Ohio, unless the driving is reckless or you're impaired or some other higher standard, vehicular homicide is a misdemeanor," Sell said Tuesday. "Only a misdemeanor charge was brought because there was no other information to suggest it was anything other than an accident."
The grand jury voted to indict Rocubert on Feb. 16 with five felony counts of aggravated vehicular homicide because Karen Marie Boehne, one of the victims, was pregnant. The original case will be dismissed. The felony case is set for arraignment Wednesday in Shelby County Common Pleas Court in Shelby County, Ohio.
"We're at a great loss here because of what this guy did. The courts will take care of it. From the aspect of being as irresponsible as he is. That's the problem. The courts in Ohio are doing a fine job and I believe they'll bring him to justice," Boehne's father Dave Hahn said. "He's a very irresponsible person, so he needs to be rightfully charged for what he did to kill my family. We'll let the court system do their job, but definitely, this is a felony. This is no misdemeanor traffic ticket."
Rocubert's tractor-trailer was northbound on Interstate 75 when it went through the median Dec. 24 and struck a GMC Terrain and a Ford F-150 carrying the four family members, according to police.
Heading south in two vehicles, a Ford F-150 and a GMC Terrain, were Kimberly Ann Siegrist, 63; her daughters, Lauren Marie Hahn, 32, and Karen Boehne, 33, and Karen's husband Jeremy David Ralph Boehne, 32. All family members were killed while Rocubert was not severely injured.
"My kids were beautiful shining stars, all-A students, loved by many. Just a testament to how good people can be, to fill a funeral home with almost 3,000 people in two days," Dave Hahn said.
Lauren Hahn, Karen and Jeremy Boehne, all were graduates of Hartland High School. According to Dave Hahn, both girls played varsity volleyball at HHS.
Lauren Hahn graduated from Hartland High School in 2009 and went on to Madonna University in Livonia. She worked as a customer service manager at Alpha USA in Dexter.
"My younger daughter, Lauren, and I were very close," Dave Hahn said.
Karen and her husband Jeremy were married on June 4, 2022, in Bay Harbor, and had been together for 10 years.
Karen Boehne was a 2007 graduate of Hartland. She went onto attend Grand Valley State University in Allendale, completing her biomedical science degree in 2012. She worked with Opus IVS in Dexter as director of Human Resources & Recruiting.
According to his obituary, Jeremy Boehne grew up in Livingston County, attending Our Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church and playing basketball soccer and participating in track at HHS. He worked in the medical gas industry.
Siegrist, Dave Hahn's ex-wife, also was mother to Amy (Jim) Ross and had three grandchildren. Amy Ross, 41, lives in Milton, Ohio, and it was her home to which the family members were traveling on Christmas Eve.
According to her obituary, Siegrist belonged to St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Brighton and liked working with her church and volunteering. She was also adventurous and loved trying new things.
"Kim and I built four houses out there. We were there for 30 years and the girls are my natural daughters. I lost my whole family," Dave Hahn said. "My first wife and I got along fine. Everybody was good. We're all one big family even though it's three names."
Dave Hahn remarried after his divorce from Siegrist to Sharon Hahn, and they have a son, Adam Lane, who was close with Jeremy, Karen and Lauren, Dave Hahn said.
"I'm dad for everybody. Everybody was getting along great, and Jeremy's family is wonderful. We all had some barbecues this last fall and it was just so nice," Hahn said.
Dave Hahn, one of five children, said that in 2004, his sister was killed in a head-on crash by a drunk driver on Old U.S. 23.
"My family has been through a very large amount of tragedy and to have this happen, all of us, in this family, got the death sentence, all of us, so I have to live the rest of my life," Hahn said.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: Truck driver who killed four is now charged with felonies in Ohio
