By Courtney L. Anderson
PINE TOWNSHIP — A 16-year-old boy has been charged in the July 2 death of a Pine Township man killed while walking in Westerville, Ohio, about a week before his wedding.
Todd J. Baker, 46, was hit at about 3:30 p.m. by a car driven by William L. Hall Jr. of Westerville and died later that night.
Westerville police Thursday charged Hall as a juvenile with vehicular homicide, Lt. John Petrozzi said.
It was only the second time Hall had driven by himself, Petrozzi said, and he was taking lunch to his mother when he changed the track on the CD player and drove onto the sidewalk on Otterbein Avenue, striking Baker from behind.
“It’s an unfortunate set of circumstances that impacts multiple families,” Petrozzi said.
Petrozzi said it’s unlikely Hall will go to jail for Baker’s death because his actions were negligent but not reckless according to Ohio Law. The most time he could serve would be until he turns 21, Petrozzi said.
It took two months to file the charge against Hall because police had to complete their investigation, which involved an autopsy and a toxicology screening on Baker, Petrozzi said. The toxicology report came back clean, he noted.
After the wreck, Baker was flown to Ohio State University Hospital and died from head and chest injuries caused by direct contact with the vehicle’s bumper and windshield, police said.
Hall was not hurt in the crash, police said.
Baker and Emily A. Destefani of Westerville were to be married on July 11. After his death, Ms. Destefani told The Herald that her fiance loved his family, being a father and singing in barbershop groups.
Baker, formerly of Shippenville, Clarion County, had worked for 20 years at General Electric Transportation Systems, Pine Township, according to obituary information published in The Herald.
Westerville police also list a Westerville address for Baker.
