Israel Tun Cooch, 46, of Cranberry Township, has been ordered to spend more than a decade behind bars for a Beaver Falls crash that killed two people and gravely injured a third. A Beaver County judge sentenced him last week to 14 to 36 years in prison, with 265 days credited for time already served, and court filings show he owes about $22,240 in fines, fees, and restitution tied to the June 29, 2025, collision.
Guilty plea and charges
Cooch admitted guilt to 20 of the 22 counts filed against him, including two counts of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, according to Beaver County Radio. Prosecutors had previously pursued two third-degree murder counts but withdrew them under the plea agreement, the local outlet reported.
Sentence details
At the sentencing hearing, the judge handed down the 14-to-36-year state prison term, credited Cooch with 265 days already served, and ordered the roughly $22,240 in penalties, per Butler Radio. Court records indicate the punishment follows the guilty pleas Cooch entered earlier this year in Beaver County Common Pleas Court.
How the crash unfolded
Investigators said the crash occurred at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and 11th Street when Cooch’s pickup ran a red light and slammed into a Nissan Altima, killing 23-year-old Sheylee Young-Davis and 25-year-old Matthew Lance Jr., according to court and police documents cited by the Butler Eagle. Surveillance footage and vehicle data introduced in court showed the pickup barreling along at about 84 mph in a 25 mph zone in the seconds before impact, according to WPXI.
Victims and aftermath
A pedestrian walking home from work, identified in earlier coverage as 48-year-old Carrie Koch, was pinned under the Altima and suffered severe injuries before being pulled free, local reports state. Prosecutors told the court they recovered open and empty beer bottles from Cooch’s truck and said his blood-alcohol level tested at more than twice the legal limit, per Beaver County Radio.
Cooch is set to serve his term in state custody now that the county proceedings have wrapped. The case continues to resonate in Beaver County as investigators, prosecutors, and the victims’ families live with the details that emerged during the hearings and the sentence that followed.
