Staff report

WARREN — A Hubbard man was sentenced Thursday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to three to four years in prison for a May 2024 drunken driving crash that killed his passenger.

Judge Ronald Rice sentenced Dylan C. Vrancich, 26, of Bell Avenue, who previously pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular homicide and two counts of misdemeanor operating a vehicle under the influence.

Vrancich also received a lifetime driver’s license suspension.

The crash occurred May 17, 2024, on Colonial Drive in Liberty Township. Investigators said Vrancich’s car went off the road, struck a utility pole and caught fire.

Nicholas Thompson, 41, of Youngstown, died at the scene.

Vrancich, who suffered minor injuries, had a blood alcohol level of 0.21, more than twice the legal limit.

In court, Vrancich expressed remorse, saying, “I wish I could take it back.”

His attorney, Holly Hanni, said “He’s a good person,” adding, “He’s made a tragic mistake that will haunt him the rest of his life.”

Rice noted that Vrancich lacked prior offenses but said his first was a “… heck of a way to enter the court system for the first time.”