Erie law enforcement accuse a Summit Township guy of working a pink light-weight and rushing when investigators reported the Jeep Compass he was driving crashed into a Ford Fusion at a busy westside intersection 3 days in advance of Xmas, resulting in the loss of life of a 9-calendar year-previous boy.
Investigators wrote in a criminal complaint filed on Tuesday that the accused driver, 21-year-aged Cameron J. Stearns, also experienced THC in his program at the time of the accident.
Stearns faces fees of homicide by automobile, murder by auto though driving beneath the affect, aggravated assault by vehicle, aggravated assault by automobile although DUI and recklessly endangering a further man or woman in the Dec. 22 crash at West 12th Avenue and Pittsburgh Avenue that triggered the demise of George Socie IV.
Far more:Law enforcement investigating crash at west Erie intersection that killed 9-year-previous town boy
Erie law enforcement incident investigator Cpl. John Stephens also billed Stearns with misdemeanor counts of DUI and with summary targeted visitors offenses which includes failure to halt at a pink signal, failure to travel at risk-free speed and careless and reckless driving.
Stearns was arraigned on the expenses on Thursday evening.
Early early morning incident turns lethal
The crash Stearns is accused of creating took place Dec. 22 at about 4:40 a.m. In accordance to Erie police, Stearns was driving a 2014 Jeep Compass east on West 12th Avenue when he went through a purple mild at the Pittsburgh Avenue intersection. The Jeep collided with a 2011 Ford Fusion, pushed by George’s father, that was turning still left from the northbound lane of Pittsburgh Avenue to journey west on West 12th Road, investigators reported.
The Ford Fusion experienced the eco-friendly left flip arrow when it turned to head west on West 12th Avenue, investigators wrote in Stearns’ criminal complaint. Video clip and witness statements confirmed that Stearns traveled by means of the purple mild, according to info in the criticism.
Stearns was traveling at 55 mph in a posted 40 mph zone when the crash transpired, investigators wrote in the criticism.
Additional:DA: Expenses not warranted in December crash that brought on dying of 16-yr-old pedestrian
George was sitting in the driver’s facet rear passenger seat of the Ford Fusion when the crash occurred, in accordance to the complaint. He was taken to UPMC Hamot and was pronounced dead shortly before 5:30 a.m. on Dec. 22, the Erie County Coroner’s Place of work documented.
Authorities noted that 3 other men and women besides George have been inside of the Ford when the accident occurred. All had been transported to UPMC Hamot, with just one of the occupants suffering a damaged clavicle and lung contusions, investigators wrote in the complaint.
Law enforcement reported after the crash that two individuals were in the Jeep, but neither occupant was reported wounded.
Investigators mentioned Stearns agreed to a blood check next the crash. Testing identified metabolites of THC, the principal psychoactive compound in marijuana, in Stearns’ process, investigators wrote in the complaint.
George was one of 31 people today who died in motor automobile crashes in Erie County in 2022, according to the Erie County Coroner’s Business office. It was the maximum number of motor motor vehicle deaths in the county considering that 2015, when there have been also 31 fatalities, according to Coroner’s Place of work facts.
A lot more:Website traffic deaths in Erie place spiked in Oct, and law enforcement are exploring why
Various lethal targeted traffic incidents that transpired in the Erie region in 2022 and before this year continue being less than investigation by law enforcement and the Erie County District Attorney’s Office environment.
People crashes incorporate a one particular-car incident on Oct. 24 along East 10th Avenue in Erie that killed passenger Dominique Williams, 31 a car or truck-pedestrian crash on Feb. 25 in Fairview Township that caused the demise of the pedestrian, Corry resident Milton Swanson, 47 and a two-car or truck crash on March 8 at East 32nd and Perry streets in Erie that caused the dying of a 91-yr-previous girl.
Make contact with Tim Hahn at [email protected]. Observe him on Twitter @ETNhahn.
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