Conviction of mechanic who killed pedestrian upheld by Pa. court
Conviction of mechanic who killed pedestrian upheld by Pa. court
A technician who fatally struck a pedestrian while taking a customer’s vehicle for a test drive after an oil change has had his conviction for “careless driving involving unintentional death” upheld by the Superior Court of Pennsylvania. Liam Crosby, who had been working at Piazza Nissan of Ardmore for seven months, was fined $500 and had his driver’s license suspended for six months. The court determined that Crosby’s failure to yield to the pedestrian constituted careless disregard and supported a conviction for careless driving.
Background and Circumstances
As part of his duties at Piazza Nissan, Crosby would road test, service, and road test again a customer’s vehicle before it would be returned. On the day of the accident, Crosby pulled out of the store’s parking lot onto a busy road and struck 89-year-old Susan Simpson, who was on the sidewalk. Despite Crosby’s familiarity with the area and the frequency of pedestrians, he failed to yield to Simpson.
Court Decision
Crosby appealed his conviction, arguing that his actions did not meet the standard of “careless disregard” or “willful or wanton conduct” required for a conviction. However, the Superior Court disagreed, stating that Crosby’s failure to pay attention and yield to a pedestrian in a legally entitled area constituted careless disregard. The court upheld Crosby’s conviction and determined that his actions amounted to careless driving.
Defense attorney Christopher Boggs expressed disappointment with the decision but acknowledged that the court had addressed all the arguments raised in the appeal.
