New Salem teen charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI
A New Salem teen was charged with homicide by vehicle for allegedly crashing into a car on Oct. 13, 2019 while under the influence of drugs, causing the death of a McClellandtown man.
State police in Uniontown alleged Dylan Isaiah Lewis, 19, rolled through a stop sign at the intersection of McClellandtown Road, Bukovitz Farm Road and Messmore Road in German Township and hit a vehicle with two people in it, causing it to flip multiple times.
The driver of the second vehicle, Kimberly Guesman, was flown to Ruby Memorial Hospital for life threatening injuries.
Jerry Tyrone McKinney, 50, was transported to Uniontown Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, according to court paperwork. Police did not specify in which vehicle McKinney was a passenger.
During an interview with police, Lewis said he was traveling south on Bukovitz Farm Road on his way to a family member’s house and that he looked in both directions before continuing across McClellandtown Road and onto Messmore Road, court paperwork said.
Police said Lewis related he felt the impact of the crash and “blacked out” from the collision, waking up when the vehicle was at its final resting point.
Police said Lewis complained about a severe headache and appeared dazed and disoriented while he spoke to them, so he was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital for medical evaluation.
He allegedly denied possessing or smoking marijuana while driving, however a toxicology report of his blood revealed he had a schedule one controlled substance in his blood at the time of the incident.
Lewis has 10 charges in total, including homicide by vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, involuntary manslaughter and reckless driving. He is out on an unsecured bond of $100,000. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 8.