Crash victim passes away, death could affect charges against driver

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A Dickinson woman may face more charges since the man she allegedly struck with her vehicle in January passed away early Tuesday morning.

“An autopsy is being done to determine as much as scientifically possible in this case to determine the exact cause of death and we will go from there,” Stark County Assistant State’s Attorney Jim Hope said Thursday. “We will await the results of that and then our decision of course is going to hinge on the autopsy results.”

Norbert Rodakowski, 62, was walking west on the edge of 21st Street West in Dickinson on Jan. 6 when Kayln Dawn Meduna, who was 20 years old at the time, allegedly struck him, according to a previous Press article.

He suffered two broken legs, a broken arm, face lacerations and back injuries, said Noel Rodakowski, his brother.

An autopsy was ordered since it’s unclear why he died, he said.

“They hit him with a good enough force where then he landed on the windshield and pretty much cut his head all up,” Noel said, adding his condition was improving recently. “They had him sitting up in the bed and they had him doing physical therapy.”

Norbert had been hospitalized since the crash, his other brother, Harold Rodakowski, said Thursday.

His family expected him to pull through, he said.

“It was a shock,” Harold said of his brother’s passing. “I think we’re all sort of adjusting to that, but Norb’s situation was not good. He’d been in the hospital for five months.”

His injured vertebrate made it difficult for him to sit on his own, Noel said.

“For the last month we thought he was going to start walking, but that never really happened,” Harold said.

Meduna is charged with aggravated reckless driving, driving under the influence of marijuana and possession of marijuana, according to court records.

Pending autopsy results, more severe charges could be brought against Meduna as well, Hope said. However, he wouldn’t elaborate on what she may face.

“It could change things drastically,” said Kelly Armstrong, Meduna’s attorney. “It might not change them at all. I don’t know.”

Noel Rodakowski said the family will leave Meduna’s fate up to the courts.

“It’s a tough situation — at 20 years old, we all make mistakes,” Noel Rodakowski said. “I hope her life mends. That’s basically the only thing I can really say because it’s not a fun situation for anybody.”

Hope is unsure when autopsy results will be done.

See Page A2 for Norbert Rodakowski’s funeral arrangements.

Tags: norbert rodakowski, news, crash