LISBON — A woman who lied to investigators regarding an accident that resulted in a fatality must serve the weekend in the county jail as part of her three years of community control for obstructing justice.

“I just can’t even imagine being so selfish to know that somebody was injured and not render any help whatsoever,” Columbiana County Common Pleas Court Judge Megan Bickerton said to Brandy Phillips.

The 31-year-old Salem resident shed some tears during her sentencing Monday for the fifth-degree felony and apologized to the family of the victim for their loss. She entered a guilty plea last month.

“I really am truly sorry,” she said.

Brandy Phillips was a passenger in a truck allegedly driven by her sister, Patricia Phillips, 30, also of Salem, on March 11, 2022 when pedestrian Brandy Lynn Laskey, 46, of Salem was struck by the truck while walking on state Route 344. They allegedly left the scene and Laskey was later found with a head wound and died. A case against Patricia Phillips for a third-degree felony charge of failure to stop after an accident remains pending, with a final status hearing set for 1 p.m. March 11 and a jury trial March 25.

County Assistant Prosecutor Steve Yacovone, who was accompanied by county Assistant Prosecutor Tammie Riley Jones, recommended the three years of community control or probation, noting that in this case she wasn’t the person who struck the victim, but “this defendant failed to take any kind of action or administer any kind of help to the victim.” She also wasn’t honest with investigators.

He introduced the victim’s brother, Eric Laskey, who said he was speaking on behalf of the family, including his sister’s three adult children and two grandchildren.

Eric Laskey described his sister as a beautiful woman who was a talented computer technician, who was a veteran who raised three children, who loved the Salem area and could often be seen walking. She was walking home that night after visiting a local store. He said she was struck in the rear, throwing her into a ditch, where she was found 10 to 20 minutes later by a nurse who was passing by and stopped. He said the family will continue to seek answers and seek accountability.

“Forgiveness is not mine to give, but you’ve got it anyway,” he said to the defendant.

He thanked the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the prosecutors and everyone involved and asked the judge to keep in mind “the impact that this loss had caused and the defendant’s role in it.”

He asked the judge to hold the defendant accountable for her role.

Her defense attorney, Joseph Ohlin, spoke briefly about his client, noting that she has a child and a job.

“She very, very clearly made a mistake in this case and she’s very remorseful for this mistake,” he said.

Bickerton followed the prosecutor’s recommendation of three years community control, but then also required the three days in jail, with credit for one day served, saying there has to be a consequence. She suggested she use the time to put herself in the shoes of a family member in the same situation as the Laskey family. How would she feel if that was one of her family members who had been struck and left in a ditch?

She told her that her lie impacted the victim, the victim’s family, the victim’s children, the victim’s grandchildren, her own mother and her daughter. Bickerton did say she thought Brandy Phillips was remorseful.

Bickerton told her to do better, to consider what she can do to honor the life of the victim, a selfless victim and who served the country.

“I think that’s important. She deserves that, her family deserves that,” she said.

The charge carried a possible maximum sentence of 12 months in prison, but in the case of the defendant, she had no prior record and community control was presumed.