WESTLAKE, Ohio – A man convicted of crashing a stolen truck into a crowded Ohio tavern and injuring at least a dozen people has been sentenced to 35 1/2 years in prison.
Twenty-seven-year-old Cleveland resident Brandon Pawlak was sentenced Monday after a jury found him guilty last week of 30 counts, including 13 each of aggravated robbery and aggravated vehicular assault.
Authorities say Pawlak stole a pickup truck from a golf course in Avon Lake. They say after a police chase he lost control and crashed into a bar in Westlake. Stop sticks on the road near the bar failed to puncture the truck's tires.
Pawlak apologized Monday to those who were hurt but insisted he wasn't driving the pickup. A dash-cam video shows Pawlak getting out of the truck afterward.
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