Trucker who hit, killed two people released from prison after just eight months

MARYSVILLE, Ohio (WSYX) — A truck driver, who killed two people within six months while behind the wheel of his semi, was released from prison this week after serving just eight months of a three-year sentence.

Doug Jones, 81, of Mansfield, was convicted earlier this year of the 2018 death of a construction worker on US 33 near Dublin.

“My granddaughter was every breath I took,” said Paula Tolliver. “I can hardly live without her.”

But Tolliver has been forced to live without Teresa Howell since December of 2018, when her granddaughter was fixing guardrails with a construction company on 33. Jones’ semi struck and killed her, then Jones drove off. Police didn’t catch up to him until he was on the southeast side of Columbus, more than 20 miles away.

Shortly after Jones struck Howell, the federal government banned him from driving trucks again. That’s because he had struck and killed a fellow truck driver who was out of his vehicle six months earlier on a highway in Pennsylvania.

Jones was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in February of this year and sentenced to three years.

After six months in prison, his attorneys filed for early release. They pointed out he turned 81-years-old in prison, that his health is fragile, and that his wife is about to lose their home.

Prosecutors opposed the early release saying Jones never showed remorse for the death of Howell. They pointed to letters he wrote from prison to the prosecutors, saying in one of them, “Mr. Phillips, you know her death was not my fault.”

“He didn't show any remorse whatsoever,” Tolliver said. “He's cold-hearted, he's a cold-hearted man.”

Visiting judge Mark O’Connor granted the early release. Jones will be on community control for five years and has a permanent driving ban.

Tolliver said Howell’s boys, ages 7 and 8, don’t understand.

“The boys are devastated, they don't understand,” she said. “They're hurt about their mother, this will affect them the rest of their lives.”

“I don’t feel like justice has been done,” she said.