Victim's family finds no solace in sentence
Restaurant owner gets no jail in crash death
BY SHEILA MCLAUGHLIN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER

WEST CHESTER TWP. - Scott Snow is better known for paying $13,000 to
buy one of Marge Schott's World Series trophies at auction last month
than he is for killing a man in a car crash earlier this year.

In a Butler County courtroom Tuesday, that's one detail the children of
Glen Saxbury wanted a judge to consider when Snow was sentenced to 120
hours of community service for Saxbury's death.

They felt Snow's gleeful appearance over the trophy on TV and in
newspapers March 31 showed that the 51-year-old restaurant owner had
moved on with his life without looking back at what he had done to
theirs.

"He was such a big part of all our lives," Janine Saxbury of Middletown
said of her father Tuesday. "It was just a bad time for (Snow) to speak
out publicly."

They also thought Snow should serve his hours speaking against cell
phones and driving - a combination police said contributed to Saxbury's
death Jan. 4.

The Saxburys walked away with a handshake and an apology from Snow, but
little else.

"I was hoping more would be said about cell-phone use being dangerous,"
Janine Saxbury said.

"Everywhere we go, someone's got their cell phone up to their ear and
they're driving," Dennis Saxbury added.

Snow, in a 2004 bright yellow Hummer, was reaching for his ringing
phone when he ran a red light at Muhlhauser Road and Centre Pointe
Drive and broadsided Glen Saxbury's van. The 71-year-old semiretired
systems analyst from Middletown was headed to lunch. He died instantly.

Snow pleaded no contest earlier to a misdemeanor charge of vehicular
manslaughter.

Hendrickson found him guilty.

The blonde and tanned owner of Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar outlets
in three states spoke just six words in court Tuesday before learning
that the maximum 90-day jail sentence would be suspended.

"I'm just terribly sorry it happened," Snow told Judge Robert
Hendrickson of Butler County Area III Court.

Hendrickson had postponed sentencing the Maineville man from earlier
this month, saying he wanted to verify that Snow was receiving mental
health counseling since the crash and that he was sorry.

The judge said he was convinced of Snow's remorse after reading the
psychiatrist's report.

He rejected the Saxbury family's wish for Snow to become an activist
against talking on cell phones while driving, saying it was unethical.

"If the court was to do that, then I'm no longer the judicial branch of
government. I'd now be the legislative branch in trying to change the
laws here," Hendrickson said of the family's request. "I don't think
that would be proper for me to do that. There's the distinct separation
of powers here."

He wants the Saxbury family to choose the charities or nonprofit
organizations where Snow would serve his community service. They are
not sure what that will be.

Snow is expected to serve 20 hours a month and finish by mid-December,
Hendrickson said.

He already has paid nearly $1,000 in fines and court costs and will be
on probation for two years.

The Saxburys said they aren't sure yet what to make of Snow's apology.
They hope he is sincere.

"There's so many emotions," Janine Saxbury said. "He did say he was
sorry."

Snow declined to comment Tuesday.

He and his wife stood outside the courtroom talking with their
attorneys as the Saxburys turned to leave. He quickly broke away from
his group and headed in their direction before they reached the door.

He shook each of their hands. He asked them to send his condolences to
their mother.

* What a Prince!  Oh so "just terribly sorry it happened"... but can't
be bothered to deliver his own f.cking condolences...

Eat at Buffalo Wild Wings Grill & Bar!  There's no such thing as bad
publicity.

 -Sidebar-

Cell phones and driving

Cell-phone use was the most common distraction for drivers in crashes
and near-misses, according to a study released this month by the
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Drivers who dialed cell phones were three times more likely to crash.
That's about twice the risk factor of talking or listening on the phone
while driving or the same as reading or applying makeup.

Nearly 80 percent of crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes involved
some form of driver distraction within three seconds before the
incident.

Four states - Connecticut, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New
York - ban talking on hand-held cell phones while driving.

Source: The 100-Car Study co-sponsored by NHTSA, Virginia
Transportation Research Council and Virginia Tech.
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060426/NEWS01/604260343/-1/all
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- gpsman