James Nedock/ THE POST Freshman Mike Risner passes by a pile of debris outside Ellis Hall. The heap is just one of many that could be seen near the building yesterday.

An Athens County man whose passenger died in a car accident involving alcohol was sentenced this summer in the Athens County Court of Common Pleas to four years in the Correctional Reception Center in Orient.

In May, Teddy Carpenter, of The Plains, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence and criminal damaging. Other charges were dropped in exchange for his plea.

The charges stemmed from a Feb. 14 crash on Johnson Road before which Carpenter, who was 21, drank alcohol and smoked marijuana.

He was driving 85 mph in a 45 mph zone when his car ran off the road, hit trees and embankments and went airborne before coming to rest upside down in a creek. Passenger Jennifer Sellers died as a result.

After the accident, he stumbled down the road, broke into a trailer, vandalized and set fire to it, causing $2,000 to $3,000 in damage.

In addition to the four years, Carpenter also must serve 180 days in the Southeastern Ohio Regional Jail in Nelsonville on convictions of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and criminal damaging. He was ordered to pay fines of $2,000 for involuntary manslaughter, $750 for DUI, $750 for criminal damaging, court costs and restitution amounting to more than $10,560.

Carpenter went to trial in May on six charges. Three were felonies: aggravated vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter and aggravated vehicular assault. Three were misdemeanors: driving under the influence, reckless operation and not stopping after an accident involving an injury.

In a separate case, for the damage to the trailer, he was indicted on a misdemeanor charge of arson and felony charges of breaking and entering and vandalism.