Weather caused fatal accident, jury rules
The two-vehicle accident that killed 18-year-old Heather Garbutt last Dec. 7 was ruled unavoidable due to weather conditions beyond the control of both drivers involved. Fayette County coroner’s jurors also ruled that the driver of the second car, Darlene Ann Iadanza, was not to blame in the fatal collision.
Garbutt was on her way to work along New Salem Road just before 7 a.m. when she lost control of her car and crossed into the oncoming lane of traffic, according to state police trooper Robert Mertz.
As she was trying to get her Chevrolet Cavalier out of snow, Iadanza hit her car. Iadanza testified she had only seconds to react and tried unsuccessfully to brake.
“Her car came right into me. All I could do was hold on and brake,” testified Iadanza.
Mertz read into evidence a statement from a witness to the accident who said that Garbutt cut into his lane going around a curve right before the accident. The man went back to the scene, fearing that Garbutt might need assistance, and found the accident.
Garbutt’s parents questioned if the witness, identified as Jeffrey Mochosky, might have caused the accident by cutting into her lane of travel, but Iadanza said she knew the man and believed he turned back truly out of concern.
Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly said that, since there are no witnesses other than Mochosky, the point is moot.
Mertz testified that at the time of the accident the roads were slick and had a covering of very slippery frost on them.
Both Mertz and Iadanza testified that they did not believe there was any anti-skid material on the roadway at the time of the accident.
Garbutt died at the scene of the accident from injuries to her head and neck.