GINGERICH IN COURT
Friday, December 18th, 2009 -- 3:25 PM
An 18-year-old Amish man made his initial appearance Thursday morning on a serious hit and run charge.According to the criminal complaint, Rudy Gingerich of the Greenwood area borrowed a neighbor's vehicle for a joyride. He crashed it in a ditch on Sterling Avenue, between Greenwood and Mead Lake.
His passenger, 21-year-old Tobias Hershberger, was thrown from the vehicle and killed.
Gingerich suffered a head injury.
Gingerich wasn?t at the scene when authorities arrived. He returned two hours later and explained what happened.
The charge of hit and run involving death carries a maximum penalty of $100,000 and 25 years in prison.
Yesterday, attorney Matthew Prior waived the time limits for the preliminary hearing and a pre-trial conference was scheduled for December 29. A status conference is scheduled for January 7.
Gingerich is free on a $1,000 signature bond.
Feel free to contact us with questions and/or comments.