A 93-year-old Wellsburg man is now facing criminal charges in the death of a motorcyclist who was struck on Millers Run Road in Cecil Township on Oct. 6, 2025. Court paperwork identifies William Erwin Johnston as the driver accused in the crash that killed 67-year-old John Charles Dinsmore of McDonald. Responding officers found Dinsmore badly injured near the train tracks, and he was pronounced dead at the scene. A preliminary hearing in the case is scheduled for Aug. 13.
According to CBS Pittsburgh, the criminal complaint includes a witness account that Johnston’s SUV was swerving before it suddenly turned left into the path of Dinsmore’s Harley-Davidson just before 6 p.m. The same paperwork quotes Johnston as saying the front end of his vehicle "came up," and that he was wearing glasses and did not see any other vehicles at the time.
Court schedule and arraignment
Local court listings and regional reporting say Johnston was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Louis McQuillan, where unsecured bond was set at $100,000. Reporting in The Intelligencer notes that, in addition to the criminal charge, he also faces related citations for improperly crossing the center line and making an unsafe lane change, according to the criminal complaint.
How investigators say the crash unfolded
Contemporaneous local coverage of the October collision reported that a witness saw an oncoming SUV cross the center line and collide with the motorcyclist near the 3800 block of Millers Run Road, scattering debris across the scene. First responders found Dinsmore wearing a helmet, and the Washington County coroner later confirmed his death at the location. WTAE originally reported on the crash and the coroner’s initial findings.
Legal implications
The primary felony listed in court paperwork is homicide by vehicle, and prosecutors are expected to present their evidence at the Aug. 13 preliminary hearing to determine whether the case will be held for court. CBS Pittsburgh reviewed the charging documents and the scheduled court date.
Cecil Township police continue to investigate the collision. Further court filings, along with any new statements from prosecutors or defense counsel, are expected to clarify the next steps as the case moves through the Washington County court system.
