A 42-year old rural Tyrone man entered a not guilty plea in a DUI fatality case during his appearance yesterday before Magisterial District Judge Fred Miller.
The suspect, Dennis Jay Miller, was arrested on a host of charges stemming from an early Saturday morning incident along Decker Hollow Road in Snyder Township that claimed the life of 44-year old Anna Theresa Walk.
Miller was originally charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, reckless driving, recklessly endangering another person, DUI and other related offenses. Yesterday, Miller saw the original charges against him withdrawn and the charges refiled with a criminal homicide charge and an aggravated assault charge added.
Miller was scheduled for a preliminary hearing yesterday. However, with the withdrawal of the charges and the new charges added, yesterday’s proceedings amounted to a new arraignment taking into account the new charges.
The suspect retained Thomas Dickey as a defense attorney. Dickey objected to the addition of the criminal homicide charge. He said it was a nonbailable offense. Essentially, he argued it was being used as a way to deny bail to his client. He also indicated the refiled complaint showed nothing new that would justify the additional charges. Judge Miller noted the objection and allowed the new charges to stand.
Previously, state police said Walk was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Miller early Saturday morning. Police said Miller was allegedly driving under the influence of alcohol along Decker Hollow Road. Miller and Walk were involved in an argument and Miller abruptly stopped the vehicle broadside in the middle of the road. Walk got out of the vehicle and began to walk away. Miller put the vehicle in reverse and drove the car backward and swerved toward Walk. She was hit by the vehicle and run over by it.
In an updated release yesterday, state police said due to additional facts and evidence being discovered, as well as findings from the reconstruction of the accident scene, it was determined Miller’s actions were intentional, reckless and negligent versus just being accidental as had previously been alleged.
At the end of the proceedings, a preliminary hearing was scheduled for next Tuesday at 11 a.m. However, after a conference between the attorneys, the preliminary hearing was moved to Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 9 a.m.
Miller had been lodged in the Blair County Prison without bail prior to yesterday’s court appearance. Afterwards, he was remanded back to the prison again without bail.
A funeral service for Walk was held this morning at the Richard H. Searer Funeral Home. Burial was to be private and at the convenience of the family.
