Sentence issued in fatal accident
A 20-year-old Uniontown man was sentenced Wednesday to five years probation for a Nov. 30, 2002, crash that took the life of 36-year-old John R. Nahar of Dunbar. Fred Eugene Taylor III of 34 St. James Drive appeared in Fayette Count Court Monday after he pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle and related offenses in March. Judge Ralph C. Warman, with the consent of Nahar’s family, agreed to honor the plea, which included 500 hours of community service to be performed during each of the five years Taylor is on probation.
Nahar was returning from a shopping trip at Pechin’s Shopping Village with his wife and stepson when Taylor ran a red light and hit their vehicle.
Nahar, according to court records, was trying to turn left onto Route 119 from Pechin Road at a green light when Taylor’s vehicle hit his.
A state police reconstruction specialist testified at a prior proceeding that Taylor was traveling between 43 and 50 mph in the 45 mph zone when he hit Nahar’s vehicle.
A trooper testified previously that Taylor claimed his light was green, but acknowledged that he looked down to turn the radio station before the accident occurred.
Nahar died from multiple blunt force injuries. His wife and stepson survived.
During the sentencing hearing, Taylor’s attorney, Mark F. Morrison, called the accident “unfortunate” but accidental nonetheless.
“He’s a college student. He’s got a bright future,” Morrison said of Taylor. “He wasn’t on his way to a party (when the accident occurred). He was on his way to work.”
Warman agreed, calling the matter a “sad, sad case.” The jurist said he was agreeable to sentencing Taylor to probation if the victim’s family approved of the plea deal.
Before the sentencing, both families sat outside the courtroom. Taylor shook the hands of some of Nahar’s family members and hugged others. He did not say anything during his sentencing.
The maximum sentence for homicide by vehicle is seven years.
Part of the sentence indicated that Taylor should serve his community service with ambulance services or in trauma units.