Driver indicted after injury crash

CATAWBA ISLAND TWP. — A grand jury indicted a man on felonies for allegedly causing a car crash, which seriously injured his passenger.Robert Sotka, 49, of Westlake, was charged earlier this month with aggravated vehicular assault, failure to control and two counts of OVI. But the indictment added an additional charge of vehicular assault.The additional vehicular assault charge was for recklessly causing injury to his passenger, Ottawa County prosecutor James VanEerten said.The charges stem from a March 1 crash on Ohio 53 in Catawba Island Township. Sotka lost control of his Chevrolet Camaro on a curve and hit several hundred feet of guardrail, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.His passenger, 64-year-old Gerard Loftus, of Broadview Heights, suffered serious facial injuries and head trauma from the crash, said patrol Lt. Brett Gockstetter.Loftus was flown by medical helicopter to a Toledo ProMedica Hospital due to the seriousness of the injuries. Gockstetter could not provide an update on his condition.State troopers believed Sotka may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash and gave him a breath test. According to the indictment, his blood alcohol content was above the legal limit.An Ottawa County grand jury indicted Sotka Thursday. His initial court appearance in the Ottawa County Common Pleas Court is scheduled for April 5.Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterRobert Sotka