School van driver's positive cocaine test could help suspects in deadly Dravosburg crash, attorney says

DRAVOSBURG, Pa. (KDKA) — News that a school van driver tested positive for cocaine after a crash that killed a 15-year-old girl last year in Dravosburg could help the two men charged in the case, a defense attorney for one of the suspects says. 

Richard Maleski was driving the school van when two drag racers caused the crash on Richmond Avenue in Dravosburg, killing Serra Catholic High School student Samantha Kalkbrenner. When Maleski got to the hospital after the crash, he told hospital staff he had used cocaine, which he later tested positive for.

"During the course of our defense investigation and upon receiving and reviewing discovery, we did learn that the bus driver involved in this fatal accident did have cocaine in his system during the time of the accident," said defense attorney Casey White.

White's client, William Soliday, is accused of hitting the van that Kalkbrenner was riding in, killing her in a fiery crash. Andrew Voight was accused of racing with Soliday, but a judge has dismissed the most serious felony charges against him.

"The information is out there for public consumption and that's something the DA's office is going to have to look at, we're going to have to look at and decide how to proceed," White said. 

But will this latest revelation help his case?

"We firmly believe it does. However, I hope that myself and our defense team can start trending towards a resolution. So hopefully the Kalkbrenner family can start to heal or at least attempt to heal, again, because this is a tragedy beyond words." 

White says it will be up to the DA if and when charges will be filed against Maleski.

"It's a sad story and this story keeps getting sadder," said White.

KDKA-TV reached out to the Kalkbrenner family who said they're shocked and were not expecting the latest news.