A 74-year-old Morgantown, W.Va., man has been brought up on charges linked to a fatal hit-and-run in Fayette County, which claimed the life of a 70-year-old woman. According to WPXI, the suspect, Stephen Anthony Lemro, is facing a series of charges, including involuntary manslaughter and accidents involving death, following the incident where Paula Silvis was struck while crossing Morgantown Street in the town of Fairchance; the driver then failed to render aid and fled.
As Lemro's vehicle was later intercepted by police after a car fitting the description of the suspect’s was observed, and despite initial noncompliance and a high-speed pursuit, he was stopped and charged, according to the Fayette County District Attorney's Office. During the exchange, Lemro expressed surprise, stating, "Oh, I hit a person, I thought it was a deer." Lemro later admitted he was driving through the intersection of North Morgantown Street and West Church Street, where the incident occurred, and said the light was red at the time, as detailed by the WPXI report.
In the wake of the tragedy, community members and workers from nearby establishments including a dental office, kicked into action in a desperate attempt to save the victim's life, "I came out right away, and the girl next door from the dentist's office started CPR," Myrna Whitmarsh, a resident, recounted her account of the event, expressing the immediate mobilization of those present, some even leveraged a defibrillator in the hopes of reviving Silvis, unfortunately, their efforts were in vain as Silvis was later pronounced dead at a local hospital, as reported by CBS News Pittsburgh.
Lemro is now facing multiple charges, including involuntary manslaughter and causing an accident that led to death or injury. According to court documents, his bail was set at $100,000, but as of this morning, he had not been able to pay it.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for early September.
