Louisiana man charged in fatal crash
SPRINGHILL TWP. — A Morgantown, W.Va., man was killed on Monday when his truck was struck head-on by a second vehicle along New Geneva Road.
Sheldon Gene Smith, 60, was pronounced dead at the scene by Fayette County Deputy Coroner John Kondrla at 9:14 p.m.
A coroner’s office spokeswoman said Tuesday that the cause of death is pending autopsy results. An autopsy is scheduled for today.
Randall John Breaux, 35, of Louisiana, the driver of the second truck, and his passenger, a 13-year-old female, were taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown for medical treatment.
No information was available on Tuesday about their injuries or condition.
Breaux has been charged with homicide by vehicle, endangering the welfare of children, disregard of traffic lane, driving at a safe speed and careless and reckless driving by police.
The charges have been filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge Randy Abraham.
According to the criminal complaint, Breaux admitted to investigating officer Trooper Dominick A. Berlin that he had been drinking prior to the accident.
“I had a few, like four,” Breaux told the officer.
The unidentified female passenger in the vehicle told police that he had been drinking and that she had pleaded with him to slow down.
“The witness related that she placed her seatbelt on, looked down at her phone, and when she looked up, they were in the oncoming lane of traffic and they crashed into another vehicle,” said Berlin.
State police said that Breaux was traveling southbound on New Geneva Road, about one mile south of Friendship Hill Park, when his 2012 Chevrolet Silverado crossed over into the northbound lane and struck Smith’s GMC Sonoma.
New Geneva Road was blocked to traffic for several hours as investigators determined the cause of the fatal crash.
Breaux has not been arraigned on the charges.
Police, meanwhile, were assisted at the accident scene by Point Marion and Fairchance EMS personnel and Point Marion Volunteer Fire Department.