NAPOLEON — A man found guilty of assault for striking a bicyclist during the Mad Anthony River Rally last year was sentenced Wednesday in two courts.
Jon Bofia, 53, of McClure, Ohio, in July pleaded no contest and was found guilty of assault in Henry County Common Pleas Court. He had originally been charged with aggravated vehicular assault.
He was sentenced to 180 days in jail with 90 days suspended, two years of probation, and to pay more than $1,200 in restitution.
He also was sentenced in Napoleon Municipal Court to an additional 20 days in jail after pleading no contest last month to a charge of menacing. A disorderly conduct charge was dismissed.
The charges stemmed from an Aug. 2, 2014, incident on State Rt. 65 just west of Grand Rapids that injured Brian Kelham, 41, of Tecumseh, Mich. A witness said Mr. Bofia was driving closely behind the victim and another cyclist for several hundred feet before blasting his horn, yelling through his truck window, then striking Mr. Kelham with a trailer he was pulling behind his pickup. Mr. Kelham sustained a fractured rib and additional scrapes and bruises.
“I’m generally pleased and appreciate the county taking the charges seriously,” Mr. Kelham told The Blade.
Defense attorney Ian Weber said Mr. Bofia maintains the collision was an accident, but he takes responsibility for what happened. “He would just like to put this behind him,” Mr. Weber said.
Mr. Kelham has filed a lawsuit against Mr. Bofia in Henry County.
A group of cyclists were present in both courts. Toledo Area Bicyclists, which organizes the annual 100-mile rally, organized riders for the court appearances. Seven cyclists rode from Waterville to Napoleon, and an additional five individuals joined the group at the courthouse.
“We rode out there because we wanted to draw attention that there are lots of cyclists on the roads at all times,” Debbie Tassie, president of TAB, said. “We are lawfully on the road. We try to ride carefully, and ask that drivers do as well.”
The group supports House Bill 154, which would mandate a minimum 3-foot distance for vehicles passing a cyclist.
— Alexandra Mester
First Published August 13, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
