The man who ran over beloved Portsmouth character, Rich Moon, fled the scene and spent three years hiding from police before turning himself in and pleading guilty to vehicular homicide and fleeing scene is getting out of prison less than a year after he was sent to the Chillicothe Correctional institution.
Judge Mark Kuhn granted Rusty Rule a 5-year term of probation in a hearing last week.
Rule spent far less time in prison than he spent hiding from police.
According to police, the 70-year-old Moon had been drinking when he crossed against the light on 12th Street in Portsmouth back in December 2020. Police say Rule was driving a van and struck Rich Moon but failed to stop and render aid.
After a lengthy investigation, during which multiple suspects were followed up on, police say Rule confessed to his involvement in the accident.
The judge sentenced him to Three years for hit and skip and a year and a half for vehicular homicide. According to the sentence, those terms were to be served consecutively. The ODRC website stated Rule would not be eligible for parole until December of 2027, but last week’s hearing changed that.
Read our previous coverage of this case
Police Asks Moon Hit & Run Driver To Do The Right Thing