York man guilty of 3rd degree murder: 124-mph crash on I-83 killed friend

A York man has been found guilty of third-degree murder for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, traveling at 124 mph, and causing a collision that resulted in the death of his passenger.

On Thursday, Oct. 5, a York County jury convicted Rahsaun Bush, 31, of homicide by vehicle while intoxicated, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, accidents resulting in death or injury while unlicensed and possession of marijuana.

Deveja Cooper, Bush's friend and passenger, was ejected from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene while lying on the roadway.

What happened

On June 13, 2020, Bush was at his home on East South Street in York, at a house party for his sister, Morgan Crosby, who was home from college.

Deveja Cooper, his friend of two years at the time, was dropped off by her sister that afternoon.

"She wanted to be with me," said Bush in his testimony. But according to Bush, she was already in a romantic relationship with someone else.

He said the three of them went out for lunch before returning to the party, which began around 8 p.m., where they ate, drank, and listened to music for several hours before going out to Pandora's Box, on East Market Street, a three-minute drive from his home.

During his testimony, Bush admitted to drinking at his house before going out later that night. He drank straight from a bottle of Hennessy cognac, "tapping it," a total of five or six shots.

It was around midnight. He said Bush, his cousin, and Cooper got into the white 2015 Hyundai Sonata and together they drove to Pandora's Box.

Previously reported: Trial begins for man accused of crashing and killing his girlfriend while driving 124 mph

He said he drank one Long Island iced tea, Cooper drank two, and his cousin who came with them, had left with his friends.

Bush claimed the evening started out fine, but toward the end of the night, Cooper became "stand-offish." The two had already been arguing that day after Cooper found sexually explicit photos of Bush with other women on his phone.

After seeing Bush talk and dance with other women at the restaurant, they began to argue again, he said. Bush claimed that the two were not actually in a relationship.

“I told her we talked about this earlier − I thought we hashed things out," he said.

The two went back to Bush's house, where he convinced her to stay, but said Cooper wanted to go home because she believed they would just continue to fight at his house.

He said Cooper was silent during the drive until the two began to argue again. He claimed she hit him with both hands, with her "back towards the door, knees toward middle console.” Bush said he extended his right arm out to try to hold her back.

That's when he saw an 18-wheeler tractor-trailer merging onto the highway.

"After that, I don't know," said Bush.

When officers found him at the McDonald's where he fled to after the accident, Bush was uncooperative, and did not ask officers about Cooper's whereabouts. He was later taken to Geisinger Holy Spirit Hospital, where Bush said he was felt "scared, sad and confused."

More on this case: Coroner identifies woman ejected, killed in I-83 crash over the weekend

Senior Assistant Public Defender Catherine Law asked Bush to stand before the jury and show the markings on his right arm.

"It looks like a bunch of little dots in a row," Law said. She asked Bush if he had this scar before the crash. "No ma'am," Bush replied.

"What do you believe the scar is from?" she asked. "First I thought it was from running in the woods, now that I see it, it's the threading from the passenger side airbag," he replied.

Chief Deputy Prosecutor John Hamme's voice rose when he asked Bush about the significance of the airbag scar. "When she attacked me, I put my arm out to make her stop," he replied.

'If he wasn't on the road, this may have never happened'

Troopers located a witness at the scene, the driver of an 18-wheeler truck, Chris Bosley.

Bosley told officers he was a truck driver operating his tractor-trailer, entering the right lane of Interstate 83 northbound at the Yocumtown Exit when this crash occurred.

Bosley said he observed a white sedan pass him at an apparent high rate of speed in the left lane of Interstate 83 northbound.

Bosley then observed the sedan strike the center concrete median to the left lanes, and travel east across both travel lanes and an entrance ramp lane before making head-on contact with a dirt embankment to the east side of the travel lanes, according to court documents.

He then called 911.

Cpl. James Mooney, a collision analysis and reconstruction specialist with the Pennsylvania State Police CARS unit, who conducted an investigation into the crash, testified Wednesday.

When conducting an investigation on a car crash, an important piece of evidence officers use is called the event data recorder, or an EDR, also referred to as a black box. This device records and stores information about airbag deployment, brakes, speed, and even seatbelt use in the moments directly preceding a crash.

This device comes standard on most passenger vehicles manufactured in the past decade and was installed in the white 2015 Hyundai Sonata.

Mooney said black boxes are reliable, though they are not tested before they are put into the car and are only taken out of the car after an accident.

Through Mooney's investigation, the EDR revealed several details, including that Bush was driving at a rate of 124.3 miles per hour when he lost control of the vehicle, and that both passengers were not wearing seat belts.

“When you’re under the influence of alcohol, your mind moves slower, you’re drowsy, slow to react. It affects your mind, emotions and your physical function. I determined his high rate of speed and influence of alcohol would ultimately cause a collision," said Mooney.

According to Mooney, the speed at which Bush was driving, the lack of a driver's license, and the influence of alcohol were the cause of the cause of this collision which resulted in the death of his passenger.

"Not having a driver's license, you're not allowed to drive, and shouldn't have been on the road to begin with. If he wasn't on the road, this may have never happened."

'He's not a monster'

Julie Bush, the defendant's mother, said she is glad her son stood up and took accountability for his actions.

"He's not a monster. He wanted to take her home because he wouldn't leave her on the street − that's not how he was raised," she said.

Bush is currently awaiting sentencing, with a hearing scheduled for Nov. 16.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: York Pa. man guilty of 3rd degree murder: 124-mph crash killed friend