Bartender, Owner Waive Hearing In Connection With Fatal Crash
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- An Armstrong County bar owner and bartender were back in court today in connection with an accident earlier this year that claimed the lives of three young men.
Larry Pompelia is accused of trying to deceive investigators when they began to look into the circumstances surrounding the deaths of Sean Titus, Zane McMillan and Cody Douglas last May.
The '97 Mazda driven by Titus ended up overturned in a pond on their way to a party in Indiana County. All three were killed.
But investigators determined they had indeed been to the Final Score Sports Saloon in Dayton, Armstrong County, operated by Pompelia, just before then, and that they had been drinking there.
Two other defendants, Kristin Fisher and Karly Good, who worked the bar, are accused of serving them at the Final Score.
According to the criminal complaint, Titus, who was driving, had a blood alcohol content of .106, McMillan .099 and Douglas .063. The legal limit is .08.
But when investigators reviewed surveillance footage for the bar, they found gaps in the footage and then discovered some of the footage had been erased -- police say on purpose.
Pompelia's lawyer, though, says he hopes his client can get ARD, a rehabilitation oriented program, that could result in an expunged record once the case goes to trial.
He waived this preliminary hearing based on that hope. None of these defendants face homicide charges.
"There's been a preliminary offer by the District Attorney's office for the ARD program," says defense attorney Bob Bell. "And Mr. Pompelia decided that it was in his best interest to accept that offer and based on that we waived the preliminary hearing."
All three defendants waived their preliminary hearings and will head to trial.
But the bar still faces administrative proceedings in connection with the serving of minors, separate from the criminal case.
Stay with KDKA Harold Hayes' full report on this developing story.
RELATED LINKS:
3 Killed In Indiana County Accident (5/5/13)
Charges Filed After Deaths Of 3 Men In May Car Crash (7/15/13)
Armstrong Co. Bartender, Owner Charged In Connection With Fatal Crash (8/22/13)
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