The man allegedly driving the car in a fatal crash April 14 near Spruce Creek was arrested Monday by state police at Huntingdon and charged with alcohol-related homicide by vehicle.
Jason Crowell, 23, of 808 Park Ave., Tyrone, was placed in Huntingdon County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail. He is also charged with reckless driving, speeding and driving under suspension.
The deceased is Sharon Marie Reed, 18, of Pennington Road, Warriors Mark Township, Huntingdon County. Mrs. Reed was in the back seat of a 1996 Mitsubishi with Duane Day, 23, of Tyrone, owner of the car. They were ejected through the rear window when the car struck an embankment and several guiderails.
She was pronounced dead at the scene of injuries she sustained after the vehicle rolled backward, struck a tree and landed on top of her. Day and Crowell, both of whom were injured, attempted to lift the vehicle off her, but were unsuccessful, according to the statement of probable cause filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge Daniel Davis, Alexandria.
Day was charged with furnishing alcohol to minors. A 16-year-old brother of Mrs. Reed was in the front passenger seat and sustained minor injuries. He was charged with underage drinking. His blood alcohol content was found to be between .121 and .144 percent.
No one was wearing a seat belt, according to police.
According to the police statement, Crowell and Day picked up Mrs. Reed and her brother in Tyrone Borough sometime before the 11:40 p.m. crash. Everyone in the car was drinking beer, according to a statement by the juvenile. They were “riding around” and Day and Crowell switched places because Crowell allegedly was the lesser intoxicated of the two, according to the statement. Crowell’s blood alcohol content was found to be .14 percent at 2:30 a.m. April 15, about three hours after the crash.
Crowell was “driving reckless” while heading east on Route 45, according to a statement from one of the passengers. Both Day and the juvenile told the arresting officer that he was driving above the speed limit. He was allegedly “testing it out” since it was the first time he had driven Day’s car. The car crashed near Smiley Lane, Franklin Township.
Mrs. Reed is survived by her husband, Michael, and her two sons, as well as her parents, two sisters and a brother and her grandparents.
