Man facing homicide charges in connection with deadly Rt. 28 crash
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Tarentum man is facing homicide charges in connection with a deadly crash along Rt. 28 over a year ago.
According to police paperwork, 77-year-old Frederick Fattman is facing numerous charges, including homicide by vehicle for his role as the driver of a vehicle that was involved in a deadly crash in early July of 2021.
Pennsylvania State Police officers were dispatched to the scene of a single-vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of Rt. 28 in Harrison Township.
Police say the vehicle involved was a red Chevrolet Corvette, which had come to a rest along an embankment on the right side of the roadway.
The front seat passenger, identified as Robert Walters, was pronounced dead at the scene.
While being interviewed by officers, Fattman said "I wasn't planning on going that fast. I usually just open it up a little bit, maybe 60, 70, 80 at the most and then take it right back down again."
Police say several witnesses were interviewed as part of the investigation.
Multiple individuals told police they witnessed the Corvette traveling at a high rate of speed and changing lanes.
Police say that a Trooper who serves with the department as a Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist was called to assist at the scene and his investigation found the following:
- No restrictions or visible roadway hazards were present at the time of the crash
- No adverse weather conditions were present at the time of the crash
- No mechanical failures could have caused or contributed to the crash
- Both Fattman and Walters were wearing seatbelts at the time of the crash
- Fattman's aggressive driving was 'attributable' to the crash
Police say that the Corvette which Fattman was driving contained a system that logs information including speed, braking, throttle usage, and seatbelts.
According to police, data from the system was downloaded, which showed that Fattman was driving a maximum speed of 145 mph prior to the crash.
Fattman is facing charges of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving, and other traffic violations including speeding.