Man charged in Neshannock runner's death
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Feb. 7—A man who was driving a car that struck a running pedestrian early Dec. 23 in Neshannock Township has been charged with homicide by vehicle.
Zachary Lee Patrick, 32, of Cochran Drive, is wanted by the police in connection with the accident that occurred at 4:45 a.m. on Wilmington Road, claiming the life of 67-year-old David Roger Chiafullo of Greentree Circle, Neshannock.
An avid jogger, Chiafullo had been out for his usual early morning run and typically had followed the same routes, according to people who knew him.
According to a criminal complaint that police filed against Patrick, an officer responded to a call about a man lying on the road bleeding from a head injury. The officer arrived to find Chiafullo being treated by an off-duty nurse. Police saw a crashed red Ford Taurus about 70 yards away that had severe front-end damage and was on an embankment on Dunkin' Donuts property, they reported.
The officer walked around the car and saw a bag of marijuana next to the car, the report said.
Chiafullo was taken by ambulance to St. Elizabeth's Youngstown Hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Meanwhile, a man who identified himself as Patrick approached the police and said he was the driver of the car and didn't know he had hit anyone, the report said. The police said Patrick admitted to them that he had been smoking marijuana earlier. He submitted to a blood test at the hospital, the report said, and the results showed levels of THC, the primary psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana, in his blood. The police also determined that Patrick was driving with a suspended license.
Police said Patrick had failed to call 911 and inform police he had been in an accident.
Officers obtained a surveillance video of the accident area that showed Chiafullo jogging north on Wilmington Road at 4:43 a.m. when Patrick's northbound car crossed the center turning lane and into the oncoming traffic lane, hitting Chiafullo. His car drove through the lot of Preston Motors before the left passenger side of his car struck Chiafullo, then he continued driving and hit a fire hydrant and entered the Dunkin' lot, damaging it, the report said. Patrick then left the accident scene, failed to render aid and did not notify the police, the complaint states.
A state police accident reconstruction team investigated how the accident had occurred.
In addition to the homicide by vehicle charge, Patrick is facing charges of driving under the influence, accidents involving damage to property, duty to give information or render aid, reckless driving, careless drivig, driving while his license is suspended, driving on the wrong lane of traffic, driving on the right side of the road and accidents involving death while not properly licensed.
A warrant has been issued for his arrest.
Suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty or adjudicated in court.
