A Brookfield woman who crashed her SUV into an historical marker sign on the township green has pleaded guilty to a traffic violation, but there was no restitution order filed in the case at Trumbull County Eastern District Court.
Brookfield Police Chief Aaron Kasiewicz said a request for restitution was submitted to the Trumbull County Prosecutor and he does not know why restitution was not addressed by the court. He said he would discuss the issue with the prosecutor’s office.
Kasiewicz also said there is conflicting information as to whether Arlene L. Root, 66, of 1988 Warner Road, has insurance, which could go toward replacing the sign. Root told police she does not have insurance but there is court paperwork indicating she does, Kasiewicz said.
Root was southbound on Route 7 on June 15 when her SUV hopped the curb, drove on the sidewalk and knocked over the sign at the northwest corner of the green in Brookfield Center, Brookfield police said. She then drove home.
Another motorist alerted authorities and followed Root home, police said. Police said they encountered Root still in her vehicle. She struggled to walk and received assistance walking into her home, police said. She was bleeding from an arm and Brookfield Fire-EMS treated her and took her to a hospital, police said.
Root told police she had been in a crash and had hit a sign but did not know where.
Police later were informed that the historical marker, which tells of the buildings in the center that housed runaway slaves as part of the Underground Railroad, was down.
Police charged Root with leaving the scene of the accident and failure to control. She pleaded guilty or no contest to failure to control on Sept. 12 and the other charge was dismissed. She was fined $75.
Brookfield Trustee Mark Ferrara said officials want to put the sign back up but were waiting for word as to whether the township would be able to recover any money, and how the reinstallation could be done. The sign and post were forged as one piece but the crash severed the post from its base and the sign from the post.
