Masontown man pleads guilty in fatal traffic crash
A Masontown man pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle in Fayette County Court in the April accident that killed his passenger. Thomas Jeryl Hall, 23, of Masontown was driving a 1996 Chevrolet Cavalier on Route 166 in German Township when he was involved in a crash that killed Rebecca Ann Livingston on April 13.
In addition, Hall pleaded guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol and three traffic citations. In exchange, prosecutors dropped a charge of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol.
State police Sgt. Joseph D’Andrea charged that the crash occurred just after 4 a.m. when Hall was traveling northbound. D’Andrea said Hall’s vehicle left the road and struck a concrete culvert and then struck an embankment.
Police said the car then overturned and ejected Livingston through the passenger window.
She was initially flown from the scene by medical helicopter to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va., where she was later pronounced dead.
D’Andrea said that police discovered a broken bottle of brandy at the scene and emergency personnel described Hall as intoxicated.
Further testing revealed Hall’s blood-alcohol level to be .165 at the time of the crash, more than twice the legal limit.
He will be sentenced on Jan. 14 before Judge Gerald R. Solomon.