A Westmoreland County man has been charged several months after an incident involving a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) on a frozen lake in Maryland that resulted in the death of his passenger, officials said. Ricky A. Wise, 59, of Mount Pleasant, faces charges that include negligent manslaughter with a vehicle and negligent homicide by motor vehicle while under the influence, as reported by WTAE.
According to authorities, Wise was operating a UTV on Deep Creek Lake on February 22 when it suddenly broke through the ice beneath the Glendale Bridge. While Wise managed to escape the vehicle unassisted, his passenger, David Linsenberger, 58, was trapped until rescued by emergency crews. Linsenberger later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia. The CBS News Pittsburgh reported that Wise had a blood alcohol level above Maryland's legal limit of 0.08 percent at the time of the incident.
The Maryland Department of Natural Resources issued a statement detailing the charges against Wise and noted that only snowmobiles, not UTVs, are legally permitted on the lake. Wise is scheduled to stand trial on October 7 in Garrett County. If convicted, he could be sentenced to more than 12 years in prison and face nearly $17,000 in fines.
