Suspected Driver In Comanche Crash Appears In Court; Victims Still Recovering

Daniel Vanderhoof Jr. -- the man accused of driving into a house on Comanche Trail and sending four people, including two young children, to the hospital -- appeared Monday in Mentor Municipal Court.

Vanderhoof, 28, of Willoughby, faces four charges of aggravated vehicular assault. He is also accused of drunken driving, driving without a license, reckless operation and fleeing the scene of a crash.

Because he faces felonies, Vanderhoof's case cannot be heard in Mentor Municipal Court. Instead, it was bound over to Lake County Court of Common Pleas.

While in court, Vanderhoof apologized to the family whose house he hit with a car.

"I am so sorry," he said, according to The News-Herald.

Meanwhile, the family that was hospitalized continues to recover.

Father Christopher Lukasiewicz, mother Tonya Blare, 3-year-old son Christopher Lukasiewicz Jr. and 18-month-old daughter Cassy Lukasiewicz all had some injuries after the car crashed into their living room. (See photos of the damage here.)

Blare and Cassy were released from the hospital first.

The older Christopher Lukasiewicz was released from MetroHealth Medical Center over the weekend, said Natilee Blare, Tonya's mother. However, he went to TriPoint Medical Center since then with related health problems.

Meanwhile, the younger Christopher Lukasiewicz remains in Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, where he has been since the crash.

The boy can breathe and eat on his own now. However, he still cannot talk and is having trouble with his arm. He will be seeing speech and physical therapists for these respective problems, his grandmother said.

Two banks have started funds to help the Lukasiewicz-Blare family.

Both Lake National Bank and Huntington National Bank have set up accounts and are accepting donations.