Greene County driver guilty in W. Va. crash that killed two
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A Monongalia County jury found a Greene County man guilty on all charges in connection with a January 2024 crash on Interstate 79 that killed two Morgantown residents.
Thomas H. Horner III, 39, of Bobtown, was convicted Wednesday of two counts of negligent homicide and one count of reckless driving with injury. The verdict came after two days of testimony and deliberation in Monongalia County Circuit Court.
The charges stemmed from a Jan. 3 crash near the 149-mile marker of I-79 that involved multiple vehicles and shut down the interstate for nearly five hours. The wreck claimed the lives of ZaQuan “Za” George, 21, and Margaret “Maggie” Erdie, 19, both of Morgantown.
Jurors heard from 10 witnesses called by prosecutors, including the 911 operator who took the first emergency call, eyewitnesses who saw the collision and members of the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department. Sheriff Bradley Broker, serving as the agency’s reconstruction specialist, testified as to how investigators determined Horner’s driving contributed to the deadly crash.
The state’s case was presented by attorney Robert Zak. Horner was represented by defense attorney Bryan Edwards.
Horner was originally arraigned in Monongalia County Magistrate Court and released on personal recognizance bond shortly after the crash. Following Wednesday’s verdict, he now awaits sentencing.