Officer To Stand Trial In 2010 DUI Death
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - A local police officer will go on trial after waiving his right to a preliminary hearing Friday morning.
Adam Lewis is charged with the death of a woman that was killed when he crashed his motorcycle in September.
Jessica Lojak's father walked out of court too overwhelmed to talk on camera. His daughter was killed while riding on the back of Lewis' motorcycle.
Lewis, an off-duty police officer, crashed with a blood-alcohol level of .11. Today, he was due for his preliminary hearing but waived it, which will send the case straight to a hearing.
"I think that given the relationship between he and Jessica Lojak's family and friends, he did not feel that at this point it was necessary or prudent to put them through a preliminary hearing," Deputy District Attorney Mark Tranquilli said.
Lewis' fiancé was having her bachelorette party at a club on the South Side the night of the accident.
Lojak was to be the maid of honor at the wedding. She jumped on the back of Lewis' Harley Davidson, but never made it home.
Lewis, who worked out of Zone Five, is facing a list of charges, including homicide by vehicle while drunk.
"He's not holding up well. I mean he's obviously devastated with what happened. He's still trying to work through this, but it's extremely difficult," Defense Attorney Bill Difenderfer said.
Tranquilli said this also been difficult for the victim's family. Tranquilli spoke with Lojak's father in court today to explain what will happen next.
"The criminal justice system can be a little impersonal. I was just giving him a little preview of where the case goes from here, how it winds its way through the bureaucracy and what he can expect in the future," Tranquilli said.
Lewis has been out on bond. The next step is to get a judge assignment and to schedule a court date at the Allegheny County Court.
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