'I won't ask for forgiveness.' Driver gets prison term for crash that killed close friend

CANTON ‒ A driver will spend more than five years in prison for killing his friend in a 2022 car crash in Jackson Township.

Stark County Common Pleas Judge Natalie R. Haupt sentenced Tyler T. Tomic on Thursday to five to 7.5 years in prison for two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide tied to the death of Michael "Mikey" S. Icenhower, 25, of Massillon.

A jury convicted Tomic, 30, of Massillon, in a trial that ended Sept. 29.

They found him not guilty of marijuana possession and operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol, a drug of abuse or a combination of them. One aggravated vehicular homicide charge alleged Tomic was under the influence during the March 10, 2022, crash.

"I have no doubt that you did not intend the kill anyone that evening," Haupt told Tomic. "I also have no doubt that you have suffered a tremendous loss, a loss that you will live with the rest of your life, and your family will live with, and Mikey's family will live with as well. But when you chose to drive impaired that night, you made a terrible decision and you turned that vehicle into a deadly weapon."

She said Tomic may have expressed the truest remorse she has seen while serving on the bench.

"Due to my own hands, one of my brothers lost his life," Tomic said. Turning to the victim's family, he told them he was sorry, addressing some by name. "I won't ask for forgiveness. That's up to you guys."

He told Icenhower's family that he loves them.

Tomic said the crash traumatized him, and he had prayed that night that Icenhower's injuries were minor.

He apologized to the judge for any time of hers he may have wasted. She said he had not wasted her time because he was entitled to a jury trial.

The fatal crash occurred when Tomic was driving north on Amherst Avenue in a 2020 Mercedes Benz just before 11 p.m. Just after a curve in the road near Ridgecrest Drive, the vehicle went off the east side of the road, hitting a cement culvert, utility pole and curb, according to the Jackson police crash report.

Family members remember Mikey Icenhower

Icenhower's father, David Stockert, told Tomic he should have taken responsibility sooner instead of going to a trial that caused pain for both families.

"In the course of going to jail, if you could better yourself, then do it," Stockert said.

Vanessa Icenhower, Michael's sister, said her children will never hear the sound of their uncle's voice, get a hug from him or make any more memories with him.

"Do you know how hard it was to explain to my daughter she would never see her uncle again? She looked at him and adored him like he was Superman," Icenhower said.

She said her brother loved all of his friends passionately, like brothers and sisters, and extended the same love to Tomic's two sons.

Tyler T. Tomic and a 'tragic accident'

Tomic's mother Michelle Tomic, girlfriend Anna Sims and Icenhower's cousin Ryan Kennedy all asked the judge not to give Tomic a long sentence.

"Nothing's going to bring Mikey back," Michelle Tomic said. "Mikey was like a son to me, too."

She described her son as kind, giving and loving, with a huge heart.

Sims said Tyler Tomic had not left her side since they learned she was pregnant with their first child. She said Tyler was a great father to their children and a great person. She said he had changed since the accident.

Kennedy described himself as Tyler Tomic's friend, as well as Icenhower's cousin.

"What happened on the night of the accident will hurt and haunt all of us for the rest of our lives," he said. "It was just a terrible, tragic accident that nobody can change or take back, no matter how hard we try.

"Mikey was a kind, wise, loving man who put family and friends before everything. He loved spending time with his family and friends. He loved his nieces so much and was a great uncle. He had a very large passion for football. He loved watching the games on Saturdays and Sundays with his friends and family. His favorite teams were the Pittsburgh Steelers and Michigan.

"He would often go to Tyler's mom's house and all of our friends would meet there and eat good food and watch football and just enjoy each others' company. Tyler and Mikey were best friends. We were all so close and still are and always will remain that way," Kennedy said.

Kennedy asked Icenhower's family to forgive Tomic.

Fatal accident: Massillon man indicted in March rollover crash that killed passenger

March 2022: Massillon man dies in Jackson Township rollover crash

In addition to the prison sentence, Haupt suspended Tomic's driver's license for the rest of his life. He will serve 18 months to three years on parole after being released from prison.

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com.

On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Tyler Tomic gets prison term for 2022 traffic crash in Jackson Twp.