In Westmoreland County Court yesterday, Judge Christopher Feliciani accepted a plea bargain deal that will send an Indiana County man to prison for five to ten years for causing a crash two years ago that killed an 8-year-old Derry Borough boy.
33-year-old Adam Duffy pleaded guilty to felony homicide by vehicle while under the influence of a controlled substance, aggravated assault while DUI, and two counts of driving under the influence.
Duffy had morphine, oxycodone, and Xanax in his system when his SUV rammed into a car stopped at a traffic light on Route 22 near New Alexandria on June 27th of 2016. The crash killed 8-year-old Augustus Anderson and caused critical injuries to his father, Anthony Anderson.
Yesterday’s plea and sentencing included testimony by Anderson’s family members, who told of their anguish over the boy’s death. Judge Feliciani told Duffy he chose to do drugs, and “there is no way to explain” why an 8-year-old died because of the opioid crisis in America.
Duffy apologized to the court and Anderson’s family, saying that the best way he can show his remorse is by his future actions. He has a dozen cases on his criminal portfolio, eight of them in Indiana County. Most are for theft, but there are also several drug-related offenses.
