Judge denies request for reduced bond in fatal crash case

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) - A judge in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Tuesday denied a request for reduced bond for a man accused of killing a mother and son in a drunken driving accident. Judge R. Scott Krichbaum made his decision during a pretrial hearing for Walter Bolt, 65, who faces two counts of aggravated vehicular homicide, OVI and aggravated vehicular assault for a March 3 crash in Springfield Township that took the life of Angela Brown, 44, and her 15-year-old son, Jason Daff. Another son, Jayden Daff, was also injured and is now recovering from his injuries. A grand jury indicted Bolt on May 8. He was taken into custody a few days after his indictment. In his motion for bond filed last week, Bolt’s attorney, Rhys Cartwright-Jones, said his client had medical conditions that need daily treatment at a hospital and that his client has no prior criminal record. Cartwright-Jones suggested a bond of $100,000. Bolt was in court in a wheelchair. Bolt’s original bond was set at $250,000.  Assistant Prosecutor Steve Maszczak said his office opposes any modification to the bond. Maszczak said officials at the jail assured him that they would be able to keep up with Bolt’s medical care. Additionally, Maszczak said there is a lot of evidence that Bolt was drunk at the time of the accident, including a .215 blood alcohol content level, which is more than two times the legal limit of .08. Cartwright-Jones said his client has already missed some of his appointments. Judge Krichbaum said he did not think the bond was excessive.