Indiana County First Assistant District Attorney Gina Ryen Force yesterday filed a brief in opposition to homicide by vehicle defendant James Brown’s omnibus pretrial motions. Brown’s motions ask for suppression of the evidence to be used against him at trial, for outright dismissal of the charges, and for immediate release from jail on nominal bond.
Brown is accused of being at the wheel of a car that crashed into Pikel’s Top Tier Fuels last July, running over a gas pump and smashing into a building. The car and building burst into flames, trapping and killing 52-year-old Melissa Myers of Commodore, who was working at the gas station. Brown initially claimed another man, Michael White of Punxsutawney, was driving the car but later admitted to state police that he was driving and had taken heroin and smoked marijuana beforehand.
Brown is 34 years old and last lived in Rossiter. He is charged with six felony offenses, including two counts of accidents involving death or personal injury while not licensed and single counts of homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, and aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI. There are also two misdemeanor DUI charges and nine summary traffic offenses.
No trial date has been set, and no hearing date has been set for consideration of the motions. Brown is scheduled for Criminal Call on May 3rd.
