A 19-year-old has been sentenced to prison following a guilty plea in the fatal crash that took the lives of two teenagers in North Park. Aiden Saber, the driver responsible for the incident on December 23 last year, faces a sentence of two and a half to five years, as reported by WPXI.
Saber stood before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kelley E. Bigley and delivered a prepared apology to the victims' families. Taylor Orlowski, 18, of Baden, and Jonathan Tourney, 14, of Gibsonia, died when the car Saber was driving smashed into a tree – with such force that it was nearly split in half, said police. In addition to the deaths of Orlowski and Tourney, four other young passengers suffered injuries in the traumatic event.
The crash was a result of both high speeds and alcohol consumption. During the time of the accident, Saber was reported to be driving at least 72 mph in a 25 mph zone, according to a TribLive article. A criminal complaint also indicated that Saber had consumed two beers before getting behind the wheel. The sentence handed down includes 15 to 30 months for each victim as per the plea deal accepted by Saber.
During a preliminary hearing held in March, Jeffrey Tourney, 18, brother of victim Jonathan Tourney and a front-seat passenger during the fatal event, testified against Saber. “He said he was in full control, he said, ‘I got it,’” Jeffrey recounted before expressing a premonition of the impending disaster: "I felt like I was in danger." Since March 11, Saber has been held without bail and, despite multiple bail denials – now awaits the start of his prison term.
