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From staff reports
McVEYTOWN -- A 71-year-old man who struck two construction zone flaggers, killing one, during a Wayne Township crash in July has been charged with homicide while driving under the influence.
Gary Lee Sechrist, of McVeytown, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Kent Smith Monday on charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, two counts of accidents involving death, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, three counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of driving under the influence and nearly a dozen other related summary offenses.
According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, just after noon July 11, Pennsylvania State Police at Lewistown responded to the report of a pedestrian being struck and killed by a vehicle in the area of 1972 U.S. Highway 522 South, Wayne Township.
Police said they arrived at 1559 U.S. Highway, 522 S., Wayne Township and observed a maroon Chevrolet Blazer with heavy front-end damage and Sechrist lying on porch steps to the residence surrounded by medical personnel.
In a police interview, Sechrist stated he was driving and noticed vehicles stopped in the south-boiund lane. He said he swerved to miss stopped vehicles and hit a large truck. The report says Sechrist said "he knew he hit something, but wasn't sure."
The report says Sechrist did not recall driving through a construction zone and that he had a splitting headache.Sechrist stated that he had taken a prescribed Oxycodone prior to his doctor appointment and took another when he got home.
During the interview, police reported that Sechrist urinated himself, appeared disheveled and had slow, low raspy speech and seemed unable to concentrate. Police stated that Sechrist had clammy skin and displayed slow reactions and reflexes.
While on scene, police interviewed Sechrist's mother, who stated that they saw a car stopped in the south-bound lane and that's when Sechrist swerved to avoid hitting it, then continued home. The report states that Sechrist's mother could not recall whether the Chevrolet struck anyone or another truck.
A witness at the scene of the crash report seeing a large tractor trailer enter the construction zone, then a maroon Chevrolet "flying" down the north-bound lane, passing the tractor trailer, going into the north-bound shoulder, nearly striking a guide rail before swerving back into the roadway. The witness stated that the vehicle continued into cones that closed off the northbound lane, traveling 60-70 mph. The witness said he saw Sechrist's vehicle strike the construction worker, then continue through the construction zone, knocking over every cone and almost striking two parked construction vehicles.
A second witness told police when working in the construction zone, he "felt the movement" of Sechrist's vehicle, turned and saw it "flying through the construction zone."
A third witness at the scene who stated he was in the first vehicle that was allowed through the construction zone said he was parallel with a construction truck and saw the construction worker get struck by the Chevrolet. The witness told police he was traveling about 10 mph and the Chevrolet passed him in the closed portion of the construction zone.
In an interview with Sechrist at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital later that afternoon, Sechrist told police he attempted to brake, but a mud flap inhibited his ability to brake and that he swerved to the right in an attempt to avoid striking the construction worker, but was unsuccessful.
Police interviewed the second flagger, Michael Davis, on July 22, who was controlling the northbound traffic. Davis stated that prior to being struck, he had northbound traffic stopped and he was just being radioed that he was allowing southbound traffic through. The report says that Davis then heard brakes and yelling and turned around and saw the Chevrolet before attempting to jump out of the way. Davis told police that he remembered waking up face down in the weeds on the side of the road and he and debris on his left forearm.
An inspection on the Chevrolet indicated that there were no mechanical issues with the vehicle. Sechrist's blood toxicology report showed that Sechrist had 27 ng/mg of Oxycodone in his blood at the time of the blood draw.
A crash analysis determined that Sechrist's vehicle was traveling about 57 mph five seconds prior to impact. The posted speed limit in the construction zone was 35 mph.
Sechrist is being held in Mifflin County Correctional Facility on $100,000 cash bail. He is awaiting a preliminary hearing set for 9 a.m. March 20 in Smith's office.