A 19-year-old driver is facing a long list of charges after a truck driver was killed in a hit-and-run on the ramp from U.S. Route 22 to the Southern Beltway in Robinson Township, Washington County. Pennsylvania State Police on Monday filed 20 counts against Jaxon Farrell, including homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence, in connection with the Aug. 25, 2025, collision that killed 46-year-old truck driver Brian Everhart. Investigators say Farrell’s vehicle was later found less than a mile from the scene after it broke down.
The criminal complaint alleges Farrell had been lane-splitting between two trucks on the Route 22 eastbound ramp to the Southern Beltway when he first hit the tires of a stopped truck, then struck the driver, according to WPXI. The complaint states that Farrell kept driving after the impact until his car gave out, and that a witness reported seeing him trying to change a tire and zip-tie his bumper back on to keep going. Prosecutors have charged him with aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving death or personal injury, driving under the influence, and multiple traffic offenses in addition to homicide by vehicle, WPXI reported.
The Washington County coroner identified the victim as 46-year-old Brian Everhart and said he had pulled to the right of the fog line to check a mechanical issue before he was struck, Observer-Reporter reported. Emergency crews were called to the ramp at about 3:40 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2025, and Everhart was pronounced dead at the scene, the paper said. At the time, investigators carried out accident reconstruction as part of the probe, Observer-Reporter added.
Troopers say they caught up with Farrell after his car failed not far from the ramp and interviewed him at the roadside. The complaint quotes Farrell as admitting he had been lane-splitting but claiming he did not realize he had hit a person, according to WPXI. Those statements, alongside witness accounts, are expected to sit at the center of the prosecution’s case.
What the charges mean under Pennsylvania law
Under Pennsylvania law, homicide by vehicle is defined in 75 Pa.C.S. § 3732 and is generally charged as a felony. Statutes and sentencing guidelines show that related offenses, such as aggravated assault by vehicle and accidents involving death, can also carry felony penalties. If prosecutors prove the death was caused by a DUI, the offense can be charged under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3735, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, which carries steeper penalties, and aggravated offenses can be further enhanced depending on the circumstances, according to the state vehicle code and sentencing guidance. Readers who want the exact wording can consult the statutory text and guideline tables available through Pennsylvania’s legal references.
What happens next
The criminal complaint is filed, and the case will now move through Washington County’s court system, with arraignment and pretrial dates to be set by the court. Local reporting previously noted that Pennsylvania State Police Troop T conducted accident reconstruction after the Aug. 25 crash and that the county prosecutor said the investigation remained active, Observer-Reporter reported. Upcoming court filings and statements from prosecutors will spell out the public timeline for arraignment and any future hearings.
Farrell has been charged but is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty in court. This story will be updated as new court records or official statements are released.
