New Kensington man charged with homicide in June car crash that killed woman, 90
Police charged a New Kensington man Monday with homicide by vehicle in connection with a June car crash in Plum that killed a 90-year-old Saxonburg woman and injured her daughter.
Richard Stutz, 40, faces felony charges of homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter, along with traffic violations including speeding, reckless driving and illegally passing and changing lanes, court records show.
Allegheny County police further accuse Stutz of lying to investigators about how the crash happened, a criminal complaint said.
About 2:30 p.m. June 15, Jean Armany, 64, of Shaler was driving her red Toyota Prius along Coxcomb Hill Road in Plum with her mother, Olga Kocon, 90, in the front passenger seat, when Armany slowed to make a left turn onto Logans Ferry Road, the complaint said.
As Armany began to turn, a blue Ford Edge driven by Stutz struck the left side of the Prius, pushing it off the road and onto a grassy hillside, police said. Stutz’s Ford Edge slid sideways and rolled over, coming to a stop on its roof next to the Prius.
First responders had to cut Kocon and Armany from Armany’s car. Both were hospitalized.
Kocon died of her injuries two days later, shortly before 4 p.m. Sunday, June 17. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office ruled Kocon died of blunt force trauma to the head, neck, trunk and extremities.
Further information about Armany’s injuries were not available.
When interviewed about the crash, police say Stutz told them he was traveling behind the Prius and, when he realized it was stopping to turn, his GPS unit fell on the floor and landed beneath the brake pedal, preventing him from applying the brakes, the complaint said. Unable to free the GPS device, Stutz told police that he chose to try to go around the Prius on the left because another car was parked on the right.
Investigators obtained search warrants to review mechanical data about the crash contained in Stutz’s vehicle’s Airbag Control Module, a computer system that police described as similar to a “black box” on an airplane that records key data during a crash to a permanent memory source.
Police say the system’s data revealed that, contrary to Stutz’s explanation, his GPS unit had not been on the floor but rather wedged between the windshield and dashboard, the complaint said. When an officer placed the GPS unit below the brake pedal, the officer said he was still was able to apply the brakes.
The data showed the brake had not been applied until the car made impact with the Prius, the complaint said.
The mechanical inspection found, at the time of the crash, Stutz’s Ford Edge was traveling about 72 mph, the complaint said.
Coxcomb Hill, or Route 909, is a two-lane road running north to south separated by a double yellow line. The section of roadway near the crash was in a no-passing zone, and the posted speed limit was 35 mph.
Natasha Lindstrom is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Natasha at 412-380-8514, nlindstrom@tribweb.com or via Twitter @NewsNatasha.
