Former Gahanna Lincoln football player found not guilty by jury in triple-fatal crash

A former Gahanna high school football player who was driving the vehicle that caused a triple-fatal crash in 2019 near Easton Town Center was found not guilty of all criminal charges Thursday by a Franklin County Common Pleas Court jury.

Whether the crash was the result of a teenager driving recklessly or an epileptic having a seizure while driving is what the criminal trial centered on. The jury deliberated for about 90 minutes before reaching its verdict.

Shortly after 10 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2019, Kobie Stillwell was behind the wheel of an Audi A6 traveling on Morse Road. The Columbus police Accident Investigation Unit reported the Audi struck a Toyota Camry turning onto Sunbury Road and then struck another vehicle that was parked and unoccupied before coming to rest.

Assistant Franklin County Prosecutor Jeff Zezech said Stillwell, who is now 23 but was 18 at the time of the crash, had not taken his epilepsy medication for more than 24 hours prior to the crash yet still got behind the wheel of the car.

The driver of the Toyota, Kumari Biswakarma, 40 , and one of her daughter passengers, 24-year-old Anju Biswakarma, both died in the collision. One of Stillwell's passengers, his classmate and football teammate 17-year-old JaShawn Scott, also died as a result of injuries suffered in the crash.

The Audi was traveling at least 116 mph at the time it struck the Toyota and going in a mostly straight line, according to a crash reconstruction presented at trial.

Stillwell was charged with three counts of aggravated vehicular homicide and one count of aggravated vehicular assault. The charges also carried a firearm specification because an AK-47 rifle was found in the Audi at the time of the crash.

But Stillwell's attorney, Sam Shamansky, said having the seizure "could not be anticipated" and "could not be prevented."

Stillwell had been diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 3 and had several seizures, including one in August 2019.

Stillwell testified Wednesday that he had little memory of what happened to cause the crash.

Stillwell told detectives he felt "super dizzy" and then didn't remember anything else until he was being pulled out of the Audi A6 he was driving by a passerby.

In an interview with detectives hours after the crash played for the jury Wednesday, Stillwell told detectives he felt dizzy and his head felt heavy before he lost memory. Stillwell testified to having similar feelings prior to other seizures, but the symptoms also occurred at other times where he did not seize.

Stillwell also said in his interview that he "wasn't like concerned" about the symptoms and thought he was just hungry.

Shamansky argued that Stillwell suffered a seizure while driving the Audi A6 on Morse Road, causing him to be unable to brake or turn the steering wheel. That resulted in the Audi striking a Toyota Camry at more than 116 mph near the intersection of Morse and Sunbury roads.

Stillwell testified he had played multiple positions during a Gahanna High School football game and woke up feeling sore and dehydrated the following morning. Stillwell said he had stayed home most of the day until he got a call from Scott to pick him up from Easton Town Center.

After picking up Scott and another friend at Easton, Stillwell said he had turned the wrong way on Morse Road from the mall to take his friends home. Stillwell turned around, and was heading east on Morse Road when the crash occurred.

During Stillwell's testimony, he said he had gone to his neurologist after having a seizure in August and did not receive any guidance about not being able to drive a vehicle.

The trial drew a large crowd of supporters for both families, including Clay Hall, retired sports director for WSYX-ABC (Channel 6), who sat with Stillwell's family. Stillwell's father, Obie Stillwell, played football for Ohio State University in the early 1990s.

Scott's family wore bright yellow shirts with "#TeamJaShawn" on the back during opening statements.

The families of all three victims, as well as the third passenger in Stillwell's car who survived, filed civil lawsuits against Stillwell, his father — who owned the Audi — and others. Records show all three lawsuits were settled out of court.

bbruner@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Former Gahanna Lincoln football player found not guilty by jury in triple-fatal crash