Man charged with homicide in New Castle shooting and crash

NEW CASTLE, Pa. (KDKA) -- A suspect is facing homicide charges after New Castle police said a man found lying on the ground next to a crashed vehicle on fire was shot in the back. 

Police said they found a vehicle on fire that had crashed into a pole after they were called to an accident at the intersection of Cascade Street and Butler Avenue around 2:45 a.m. on Wednesday. 

Police said 42-year-old Lance Louis was lying on the ground and a passenger was sitting on the ground with compound fractures to her leg. 

Louis was taken to a hospital where police said they learned he had a gunshot wound to his back. Police said he died at the hospital and they were investigating his death as suspicious. 

Police said an investigation showed Louis was shot in front of a house on Adams Street while he was sitting in the driver's seat of a vehicle. 

The Lawrence County Constable Office said Louis died of a gunshot wound to the lower back along with blunt force injuries he sustained in the crash. The constable office said Louis drove away after he was shot, and about four seconds later, his car went off the road and hit a pole. 

Detectives said they identified 20-year-old Leighton Weaver from Youngstown, Ohio, as a suspect. He's charged with criminal homicide, recklessly endangering another person and firearms violations. Police said he's also wanted on probation and parole violations in Ohio. 

Anyone with information is asked to call the police or leave a tip online.