Man Charged with Homicide by Vehicle in Deadly Forest County Crash

Aly Delp

Aly Delp

Published April 28, 2018 4:41 am
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JENKS TWP., Pa. (EYT) — An East Hickory man is facing felony homicide by vehicle charges stemming from a deadly crash that occurred in Jenks Township last August.

Court documents indicate the Marienville-based State Police filed criminal charges against 20-year-old Brandon Samuel Walters, of East Hickory.

According to a criminal complaint, at 3:23 a.m. on August 31, 2017, Troopers Whisner and Kalnik were dispatched to a call from an individual who reported driving by a man sitting on the roadway on Guitonville Road. At approximately 3:25 a.m. the troopers located Brandon Samuel Walters standing on the roadway on Guitonville Road approximately 164 feet west of Shaffer Lane, in Jenks Township, Forest County.

The complaint states that Walters’ clothing was covered in dirt and blood when the troopers approached him. Walters stated that he had been involved in a crash where he was the driver of the vehicle. He said he had a female passenger who was injured, and that he had pulled her out of the vehicle after the crash.

Due to the darkness and lack of street lighting, the troopers did not see the crash scene upon arrival. Walters pointed them to the vehicle, which was sitting in a private lawn. Trooper Whisner proceeded to the crash scene to locate the passenger, while Trooper Kalnik stayed with Walters to assess his injuries.

During that time, Walters spontaneously said, “I’m in so much trouble,” and “I don’t have a driver’s license or a permit or anything.”

Walters told Trooper Kalnik he had picked up a female sometime after 12:00 a.m. A known individual residing near the crash scene informed Trooper Kalnik that he heard the crash occur at approximately 1:30 a.m.

Trooper Whisner located the female passenger lying on the ground outside of the passenger side of the overturned vehicle, a 2009 Subaru Legacy registered to a deceased relative of Walters.

The female passenger was unresponsive and stopped breathing shortly after Trooper Whisner located her. The troopers began CPR as they awaited EMS arrival. Even after EMS arrival, the female passenger never recovered and succumbed to the injuries she suffered in the crash. Forest County Coroner Norman Wimer pronounced the death at 4:36 a.m. on August 31, 2017. The cause of death was determined by autopsy to be blunt force trauma to the head.

Walters was treated at the scene inside an ambulance by EMS, then transported to the Clarion Hospital Emergency Room. After being evaluated at the Clarion Hospital, he was later transported by ambulance to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was admitted.

Around 4:00 a.m. on August 31, 2017, PSP Troop C Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist Trooper Robert Manno was requested to the scene to reconstruct the collision. Trooper Manno arrived at approximately 5:56 a.m. to conduct his investigation.

The investigation revealed that this collision occurred due to Walters driving the Subaru in excess of the posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour and well in excess of the 25 mile per hour speed warning sign for the curve. The critical speed for the curve was calculated to be 50 miles per hour, meaning 50 miles per hour would be the fastest that a vehicle under those conditions could negotiate that portion of the curve.

The Subaru left yaw marks on the roadway showing the driver was trying to steer through the curve but was unable to do so because he had exceeded its critical speed. The Subaru failed to negotiate the right curve, crossed the middle of the road and the opposing lane, and left the roadway. The Subaru struck a tree, went airborne, and struck another tree before rolling onto its roof and coming to rest.

A check into Walters’ driver’s history revealed that Walters had never possessed a valid driver’s license and was driving without one at the time of the crash. Walters was also found to have not been wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Based on the investigation, the following charges were filed on Thursday, April 26, in Magisterial District Judge Daniel L. Miller’s office:

– Homicide By Vehicle, Felony 3
– Accident Involving Death/Injury-Not Properly Licensed, Felony 3
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
– Driving W/O A License, Summary
– Failure To Keep Right, Summary
– Driving at Safe Speed, Summary
– Careless Driving, Summary
– Reckless Driving, Summary
– Failure to use safety belt — driver and front seat occupant, Summary

Walters is currently awaiting a preliminary hearing.

RELATED: Details Released in Deadly Forest County Crash

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