Hearing postponed in vehicle death case
A suppression hearing for a Mount Pleasant woman charged with homicide by vehicle was delayed so Fayette County’s district attorney can consult in person with the victim’s family. District Attorney Nancy D. Vernon said Steven Long’s family lives in Harrisburg, and while they told police that they wanted “something” out of the case, she said she would only agree to a plea with defendant Jennifer L. Madden after talking with the Long family.
Madden, 26, is charged with various offenses, including driving while under the influence of alcohol (DUI), homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault while DUI.
Long, of Denver, was a passenger in her car, and died in a crash at 2 a.m. Feb. 23, 2007, in Menallen Township. Police alleged that Madden initially told responders that Long was driving the car when the accident occurred, however, police said DNA evidence taken from both air bags inside the car following the crash led them to believe that Madden was driving.
Her blood-alcohol level at the time of the crash was .194 percent, which was over the state’s legal limit of .08 for drivers.
An accident reconstructionist indicated that Madden was going from 5 to 10 mph over the 45 mph speed limit when the car slid on snow-covered roads, skidded through a lawn and hit a utility pole.
Madden’s attorney, David Kaiser, said he preferred to delay the suppression hearing until Vernon discussed a plea with Long’s family.
Judge John F. Wagner Jr. agreed to the continuance but said he wanted to hear from both attorneys by the end of September to determine if a plea had been reached or he should reschedule the hearing.
Vernon said after the hearing that she offered Madden a mandatory three- to six-year prison term. She said, however, that she always tries to talk to the family of victims in homicide by vehicle cases to determine how they feel.
Vernon said in such cases some families feel as though there is nothing more the justice system can do for them, and are amenable to light punishment. Others, however, want the most severe penalty possible.
Long was ejected from the vehicle, and was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. He died in Ruby on March 1, 2007.