By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — A Syracuse man has been sentenced to three years for a drunk driving accident that injured a passenger.

Larry Lee Dennis Jr., 51, Syracuse, was sentenced for causing serious bodily injury when operating a vehicle while intoxicated, a Level 5 felony. Three other charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement.

Larry Lee Dennis Jr.

He was sentenced in Kosciusko Superior Court 3 on Tuesday, Feb. 8.

The single-vehicle accident happened on Dec. 28, 2018, on North Warsaw Oswego Road, south of East Rader Road, Leesburg.

According to police information, Dennis, who was driving a 2002 Ford Explorer, was trying to make the curve onto Warsaw Oswego Road, when his vehicle overcorrected, which caused it to leave the roadway.

The vehicle then went through a field before going airborne and into a ditch. Both Dennis and his passenger, Jeremy S. Olmsted, were transported to Lutheran Fort Wayne.

Olmsted had a head injury; Dennis complained of lower leg and knee pain.

Officers suspected Dennis was drunk due to his eyes being bloodshot and his speech slurred. There was also the smell of alcohol and alcoholic beverage containers in the vehicle.

Dennis registered .22 on a blood alcohol test.

As part of the proceedings Tuesday, Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Mark Caruso pointed out the medical bills that Olmsted accrued due to the incident.

He said Olmsted’s personal loss amounted to $382,284.64 and that Olmsted also wished for $15,000 from Dennis to be given to a fund for victims of violent incidents.

Defense Attorney Aaron Stoll argued that Dennis was “not going to be able to pay a significant amount of restitution” because he’s disabled and unable to work.

In the end, no decision was made about restitution on Tuesday. Kosciusko Superior Court 3 Judge Chad Miner agreed to set a tentative date of March 8 for a restitution hearing.

Regarding the sentencing Tuesday, Stoll argued for leniency for his client due to Dennis having suffered numerous health issues, including having his leg amputated and heart issues.

He also said Dennis had started drinking heavily following the death of his mother a few months before the accident. Stoll asked that Dennis not be given prison time because of his fragile health, saying that he could die in prison.

Caruso pointed out that the December 2018 incident was Dennis’ third OWI.

Miner opted to sentence Dennis to three years in jail with 18 months executed and the rest to be served through probation. He also said Dennis could apply to community corrections for the executed portion.

Miner said he didn’t want to go too light on Dennis because of his prior criminal history and the injury Olmsted received.

“It’s clear that there were some pretty serious injuries involved here,” he said.

Miner also suspended Dennis’ driving privileges for six years retroactive to the fall of 2021 when probable cause was found for his actions.