Woman Facing New Charges, Homicide Charges In Route 28 Crash
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Rachel Bailie found out that not only would she face new charges of careless driving and causing serious bodily injury while driving without a valid license, but the she will go to trial on those charges as well as homicide by vehicle for what happened during an accident in July of 2014.
It happened off the Creighton southbound ramp to Route 28 at East Deer Twp.
The victim, John Jaycox, was sitting on the trunk of a car, waiting for help with a tire when an SUV plowed into it. Jaycox was left quadriplegic as a result of the accident and died seven months later.
At today's hearing Darren Rose testified he saw Jaycox sitting on the car alongside Route 28 as he drove southbound down the hill.
The next thing Rose sees and hears is what he calls an explosion of parts, all over the roadway. The car that had come up that ramp hits the vehicle and the man who was sitting on the trunk.
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But there was no evidence Bailie swerved or left tire marks as she drove onto the ramp. She told police at the scene she was distracted for a second by her children in the back seat.
"There's no alcohol, there's no speeding, there's no road rage, there's nothing," said defense attorney Mike DeRiso. "You have an unfortunate accident. This man unfortunately became quadriplegic and as a result, at an older age, died of cardiovascular disease. that's what the autopsy says."
And because the autopsy lists Jaycox quadriplegic condition as a contributing factor in his death, DeRiso doesn't think Bailie should face a homicide charge.
"Did the fact that he was a quadriplegic contribute? Yeah, it did," says DeRiso. "But that's not the cause of death here and so what's going to happen is we will retain an expert and they will give a differing opinion and we'll let the judge decide whether this is a felony 3 homicide."
Bailie will be formally arraigned on charges including homicide by vehicle next month.