Trucker hauling bulldozer that crashed into I 76-77 bridge pleads to felony

A truck driver hauling a bulldozer that crashed into the East Avenue bridge on Interstate 76-77 last December -- causing months of repairs that inconvenienced motorists -- pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony charge.

Davrush Akhmedov, 32, of Okemos, Mi., was originally charged with forgery. He pleaded guilty in Summit County Common Pleas Court to an amended charge of obstruction of official business, a fifth-degree felony. The charge pertained to permits.

Judge Joy Oldfield gave Akhmedov a one-year suspended jail sentence and placed him on probation for a year. She ordered that he forfeit his CDL license and pay $393,500 in restitution to the Ohio Department of Transportation, an amount that will be covered by insurance.

Akhemedov had already paid fines on citations of assured cleared distance and driving an oversize vehicle in Akron Municipal Court.

Akhemedov was hauling a bulldozer on a tractor-trailer in December when it struck the underside of the bridge, damaging steal beams. To repair the damage, ODOT narrowed the highway to one lane on the city's west side and closed ramps in the area. The lane closures, which lasted several weeks, caused bottlenecks on the highway at times and forced many motorists to take long detours.

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