‘I hate you. You are a murderer’: Victim confronts driver during sentencing

A Hamilton man has been sentenced to prison for striking two pedestrians, killing one, as they crossed Martin Luther King Boulevard last fall.

Steven James Rogers, 59, who has been in the Butler County Jail since the fatal crash on Nov. 9, pleaded guilty last month to aggravated vehicular homicide and vehicular assault. During an emotional hearing Thursday, Butler County Common Pleas Judge Keith Spaeth sentenced Rogers to seven years in prison.

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As part of the plea deal, six other charges related to the incident were dismissed, including operating a vehicle under the influence of methamphetamine, and operating a vehicle under the influence of cocaine metabolite.

Three people — a man pushing a baby in a stroller and two women, including 18-year-old Allison Reyes Castillo — were walking west across the 500 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard at about 7:45 p.m. Nov. 9 when both women were hit in the southbound lane, according to police.

Reyes Castillo died a short time later at Fort Hamilton Hospital. The other female pedestrian, Ann Marie Wagers, was transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center for treatment.

According to police, Rogers was in possession of methamphetamine and suboxone strips at the time of the crash.

Rogers was the first to speak, turning to sobbing family members wearing T-shirts in support of Reyes Castillo.

“My heart is broken for everyone effected by this tragic accident and I feel like my soul has been broken apart,” Rogers said. “I don’t think I have lived a single minute since Nov. 9 that I haven’t felt sadness and sorrow. Life for me and obviously a lot of others has been a nightmare since then …”

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Rogers ended his statement by saying he was sorry to the family and he was sorry for being a burden to the court.

But his words fell on deaf ears for one of the victims as well as family and friends of the woman killed.

Teresa Stewart, Allison Reyes Castillo’s aunt, stood just a few feet from Rogers and said, “We have all gone through so much anguish and torment because of you.”

She remembered the last time she saw her niece and the little boy she left behind.

“To the world I want to say think before they act, think before they drive,” she said.

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Ann Marie Wagers, who has not yet fully recovered from her injures and now has to live with family members, didn’t mince words.

“I hate you. You are a murderer,” Wagers said, screaming and pointing at Rogers. “You took a lot from us … you took a great person. I wish they could put you in an electric chair to fry.”

Before sentencing Rogers, Spaeth said he recalled Rogers years ago from drug court which resulted in his non-compliance that sent him to prison. The judge told Rogers he had chances over the years.

“This happened after 30 years of you doing what you wanted to do. You could have gotten help,” Spaeth said, calling Rogers narcissistic.

In addition to the seven-year prison sentence, Rogers also received a lifetime drivers licence suspension.

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