Teen order to face trial in fatal accident
DUNBAR TWP. – Was it an accident or negligence?
That’s the question a Fayette County jury might eventually have to decide in the case of Fred Eugene Taylor III, 19, of 34 St., James Drive, Uniontown. District Justice Dwight Shaner of Dunbar Township Tuesday ordered Taylor to stand trial on homicide by vehicle, reckless driving, careless driving and traffic-control signals charges in the Nov. 30 traffic death of 36-year-old John R. Nahar of Dunbar.
Nahar, who was returning from a shopping trip at Pechin’s Village with his wife and stepson, suffered left thighbone and pelvic fractures and died from blunt force injuries, according to Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip Reilly.
The accident, according to police, happened as Nahar and passengers, Joyce Nahar, 29, and Michael Mason, 8, all of Dunbar, were traveling west on Pechin Road. Police said Nahar attempted to turn left onto Route 119 on a green traffic light.
Witnesses testified Tuesday that as Nahar turned onto the highway at around 7:15 p.m. Taylor, who was in the northbound lane of Route 119, ran through a red light and hit Nahar’s 1984 Mercury Marquis.
Five witnesses, including Nahar’s wife Joyce, and state police collision analysts and reconstruction specialist Cpl. Joseph D’Andrea testified during the preliminary hearing.
Taylor’s attorney, Mark F. Morrison, told Shaner that Assistant District Attorney Robert Eugene Grimm didn’t prove that Taylor was “reckless or grossly negligent” in his actions that day.
“The Commonwealth also failed to show that he was driving too fast, was drunk or on drugs,” Morrison said.
Grimm agreed that part of what Morrison said was true but argued the Miller showed negligence in the fatal crash.
“He had 8.5 seconds and at least 535 feet to stop before hitting Mr. Nahar’s vehicle and he didn’t,” Grimm said. “That in itself is gross negligence. There is no physical evidence to show that Mr. Taylor applied his breaks.”
D’Andrea testified that he estimated Taylor’s speed to be between 43 and 50 mph in the 45 mph zone where the accident took place. He testified that there were no skid marks on the roadway that indicated that Taylor tried to stop.
“In my 15 plus years of doing this work, I have only seen two accidents that had no physical evidence at the accident site and this was one of the two” D’Andrea said.
D’Andrea said he checked out both vehicles and found them to be in good working order. He also said the impact to Taylor’s vehicle wasn’t as severe as the impact to Nahar’s vehicle.
Witness Paul J. Ansell of 100 Circle Lane, Lemont Furnace, said he had just left work when the accident happened.
“I was the third vehicle back from the intersection on Pechin Road when I saw the traffic light change from red to green and the first vehicle, a van, make a left at the intersection, said Ansell. “I saw the vehicle directly in front of me pull out and the Jeep hit him.”
Police said Taylor was driving a 1997 Jeep Wrangler.
Ansell said he jumped out of his vehicle and heard Joyce Nahar screaming for someone to help her husband.
“I called 911 and saw where Nahar’s vehicle was impressed in his body and he was trying to get up,” said Ansell.
Joyce Naha, who was clutching her purse with a picture of her husband Tuesday, testified that Nahar must have seen the Jeep just seconds before the impact because he made a comment to that effect.
“The next thing I knew John was laying on the seat, and I called his name and he moaned so I started to yell for help,’ Nahar said.
David S. Crider of 158 Sandy Flat Rd., Connellsville, testified that he and his wife were in the van that made the left-hand turn at the intersection.
“After the traffic light turned green I looked both ways and made a left-hand turn south towards Uniontown,” Crider said. “Right after that, I heard the crash.”
Crider said at first he didn’t know what happened because he didn’t see the Jeep coming.
“After we got stopped, I saw Taylor standing in front of the Jeep and he kept saying that he had a green light,” said Crider.
Trooper Lisa Jobe also testified that Taylor said the last time he looked at the light it was green.
“He said that he reached down to change the radio just prior to the accident,” said Jobe. “He, Taylor, was also very cooperative at the accident scene and again at Highlands Hospital in Connellsville.”
Taylor remains on $5,000 unsecured bond.