A Sardinia man was sentenced to a prison term of at least 30 months this week in Highland County Common Court.
Joshua Kostoff, 28, was sentenced on two counts of attempted aggravated vehicular assault, both fourth-degree felonies.
Kostoff was sentenced to 15 months in prison for the first count, which is consecutive to the second count, also 15 months, for a total of 30 months at the Corrections Reception Center in Orient.
According to court records, factors in Kostoff’s sentencing were that he had a prior felony or previous misdemeanor offense of violence in the past two years and that in committing the offenses he was sentenced for, he caused physical harm to someone. The entry also said a factor that made Kostoff’s conduct more serious was that the victim suffered physical, psychological or economic harm.
Kostoff must pay restitution of $5,184 to the victim.
On Feb. 29, 2020, an officer responded to a report of a two-vehicle crash on S.R. 138 in Clay Township. When the trooper arrived, they saw a gray Toyota Corolla “disabled” in the southbound lane facing northbound and a “disabled” Honda Civic off the east side of the road. Both vehicles had heavy front-end damage, court records state.
The driver of the Toyota drove left of center and hit the Honda. The officer contacted the male driver of the Toyota, who was later identified as Kostoff, according to court records.
According to the records, the trooper asked Kostoff what happened and Kostoff said he was sending a message on his phone and drove left of center. Kostoff told the trooper he’d smoked marijuana a couple of hours earlier. During an administrative inventory of the Toyota, the trooper found a blue smoking pipe that had burnt marijuana residue inside of the center console, where the trooper also found a golden circular container that contained a white crystal powder.
Kostoff said he had used meth two or three days before. He admitted to the officer that the smoking pipe inside the vehicle was his but claimed he wasn’t aware of the golden container with white powder inside of it. At Highland District Hospital, a urine sample was obtained from Kostoff and the results were positive for THC and meth, according to court records.
As a result of the crash, s front passenger in the Toyota sustained a fracture of manubrium, fracture of multiple ribs, lumbar transverse process fracture, fracture of phalanx of left foot toe and a pelvic contusion. The driver of the Honda Civic sustained an ulna fracture, patella fracture, closed fracture of sternum, multiple fractures of ribs, pneumothorax and a bilateral pulmonary contusion, court records state.
Reach Jacob Clary at 937-402-2570.
