South Union woman sentenced for fatal vehicle crash
A South Union Township woman has been sentenced for her actions in the death of an 18-year-old McClellandtown woman in 2012.
Lindsey Skocik, 21, was sentenced to serve five years intermediate punishment, including three months on electronic monitoring, by Fayette County Judge Joseph George Jr. on Tuesday. She pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in April, and in exchange, prosecutors dropped charges of homicide by vehicle and accidents involving death while not properly licensed.
Skocik was driving when she crashed a vehicle on Route 166 near Masontown, killing passenger Roxanne Wolfe on Aug. 13, 2012.
According to court documents, Skocik did not have a driver’s license, and a second passenger, Steven Hawk, described Skocik’s driving as “inexperienced” as she was adjusting her seat while driving and jerking the car back and forth and she sharply made turns.
During Tuesday’s sentencing, George listened to the statements of Wolfe’s parents, Christina and George Wolfe, both of whom agreed to the plea deal in hopes of getting closure.
“The last three years and nine months were really hard on me,” Christina Wolfe said, adding that she talks to an urn and photos of her daughter every day. “I’ll never be right again.”
Christina Wolfe said her daughter’s organs were donated.
While both parents stated they understand that Skocik was not out to hurt or kill their daughter, they both said that Skocik’s actions took someone away from them that they’ll never get back.
“It’s been rough on all of us,” George Wolfe said.
Skocik’s attorney, Daniel Taylor, offered his client’s condolences to the family, but said it was “very difficult” for her to speak publicly in court because she’s “very emotional, and she doesn’t think she can get it together.”
In addition to her sentence, George ordered Skocik to pay $2,000 in restitution for the remainder of Roxanne Wolfe’s funeral costs as well as other court costs.
George said Skocik must also perform 200 hours of community service, and he included a special condition for Skocik to not make any comments concerning the case on any form of social media.
George advised Skocik that if she would fail to comply with her punishment, he could revoke her house arrest and have her serve five years in a state correctional institution.