Oct 12, 2006 By Steve Ferris 2 min read

A 24-year-old West Newton man was arraigned Thursday on charges state police filed, alleging he was under the influence of alcohol in September 2005 when he crashed his car while attempting to pass a tractor-trailer in a construction zone on Interstate 79 in Greene County and killed his passenger. Brandon G. Detman of 311 N. Second St. was arraigned on numerous charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence in the death of Daniel Server, 21, also of West Newton.

Magisterial District Judge Glenn Bates arraigned Detman and released him on $50,000 unsecured bail pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 19, Greene County District Attorney Marjorie J. Fox said.

The accident occurred at 3:20 a.m. Sept. 29, 2005, on the northbound side of the highway in Whiteley Township, according to state police at Waynesburg. The right lane was closed because of construction.

Police said Detman was outside of his 1996 Chevrolet Camaro, which had heavy damage to the passenger side, and Server was lying dead on the ground when troopers arrived at the scene.

Two drivers who witnessed the accident were interviewed at the scene, police said,

One male driver told police that the Camaro used the closed right lane to pass him, police said.

He said that the driver of the Camaro then traveled on to the berm to the left of the highway and attempted to pass the truck, police said.

The truck driver reported that a Camaro tried to pass him on the left berm, but the car spun and hit a guardrail, police said.

Detman’s blood-alcohol level was .143 percent, police said. Under state law, a driver with a blood-alcohol level of .08 percent is considered to be driving under the influence of alcohol.

The other charges filed against Detman are homicide by vehicle, DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, recklessly endangering another person and seven summary Vehicle Code violations.