LISBON – Melvin Werling, the driver in a crash that killed his wife, was sentenced to 60 days house arrest and will not be allowed to drive again until he can show he can physically pass a driver’s test.

Judge Mark Frost sentenced Werling, 56, Echo Dell Road, East Liverpool, on Tuesday in Columbiana County Municipal Court. Werling pleaded no contest to vehicular manslaughter on April 27.

Jacqueline P. Werling, 59, was the front seat passenger in the Mitsubishi Montero her husband was driving on July 6, 2013. The vehicle was northbound on state Route 170 near Negley and went off the right side of the road, struck the guardrail and then crossed back over the center line where it collided head-on with a Chevrolet Silverado pickup driven by Cary S. Winters of Negley.

Patricia Cohnheim, the sister of Jacqueline Werling, addressed Melvin Werling and Frost prior to sentencing. She claimed Werling’s driving nearly killed her sister before, referring to another accident which broke her sister’s neck in May 2012. Cohnheim pointed out her sister was never the same after that crash.

Additionally, Cohnheim said Jackie called another one of their sisters shortly before the last crash and said she was afraid her husband was trying to kill her because of the way he drove. Cohnheim cautioned Melvin Werling that she had better never find out he profited from her sister’s death.

Cohnheim said Melvin Werling did not work and her sister was afraid they were going to lose their home, so Cohnheim and her husband Jerry paid off their bills.

“My sister died of massive blunt force trauma to her head, her face and her neck,” Cohnheim said, adding the injuries were so gruesome she was not allowed to see her sister to identify her. “I pray that Jackie died instantly and didn’t feel any pain. I don’t wish the same for you, Mel.”

She asked for Frost to consider never allowing Werling to drive again and said she would like to see him in jail, but she knew it probably was not possible.

“What we have here is most certainly a tragedy,” said Assistant County Prosecutor Don Humphrey Jr., asking for maximum jail time or house arrest and maximum fines for Werling. “The tragedy does not go away by anything we do here today.”

Humphrey noted the accident resulted in Jacqueline Werling’s death and also acknowledged Melvin Werling was also severely injured. Werling was able to attend the hearing by using a walker and reportedly is being housed at an assisted living facility.

His attorney, Colleen Hall Dailey, called what happened a “classic definition of an accident.” She said Werling was driving about 15 mph below the speed limit when he crossed over the fog line and over-corrected. She presented information from Werling’s doctor that showed how difficult jail would be for him due to his own injuries.

“Not only was Mr. Werling injured, he killed the woman that he loved and he has regretted that day, what has happened, ever since,” Dailey said.

Werling also apologized to the family and the court, saying he never meant for this to happen. He also denied that he did not work.

“I loved Jackie to death,” Werling said.

Before sentencing Frost noted Werling has been examined and does not truly remember what happened during the accident. He also said he read through the paperwork about the case earlier to review and it was obvious Jacqueline Werling was suffering and using painkillers prior to this accident.

“It occurs to me how much of this comes down to paper and how little that really matters and how much of it comes down to memories and how much that does really matter,” Frost said of the difficulty in dealing with vehicular manslaughter charges in his court.

He noted he can tell by the paperwork Melvin Werling was not under the influence, texting or doing those types of things to cause the accident. Frost added it was “stupid inattention” and “bad driving.”

Frost fined Werling the maximum $750, but after learning nearly all of Werling’s SSD and pension goes to housing him at the assisted living facility, he found him indigent. The fine was suspended. His license was suspended for two years, but he also cannot drive during the five years he is on probation and must pass a driver’s test before regaining his license.