Pennsylvania woman found guilty in crash that killed mailman
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — A Greene County woman was found guilty of vehicular homicide and other charges in a crash that killed a mailman in 2021, authorities said.
Tina Phillips was found guilty of homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter in connection with the crash that killed Chad Varner on Andrews Road in Morris Township in October 2021, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General said in a news release on Wednesday.
Varner was hit and killed by Phillips after he left his vehicle to deliver a package, according to officials. Investigators said Phillips was driving more than 70 mph when her vehicle careened off the road, going through a row of hedges and hitting Varner. The posted speed limit was 40 mph.
A witness who saw the crash ran to a local store to call 911 since there was no reception at the scene, investigators said in 2021.
Phillips, who was charged in March 2022, told law enforcement that she could not remember much of the incident, officials said.
"This completely preventable tragedy serves as a reminder that reckless and careless driving can have deadly consequences," Attorney General Michele Henry said in the news release. "No one expects to face this kind of danger when they go to work, and there is no good reason to ever drive in such a manner that puts so many people at risk."
Varner, a husband and father, was remembered as a friendly man whose death "changed the chemistry" of the community.
"He was a good family-hearted person," Bill Baxendell told KDKA-TV in 2022. "And it's a devastating factor for his family. It's sad to see him go."