An 80-year-old Cincinnati man is now facing criminal charges in connection with a May 1 Hyde Park crash that killed a 26-year-old scooter rider, turning a neighborhood shock into a criminal case. Local reporting identified the driver as William Luken and the victim as Noah Patsfall, who was pronounced dead at the scene. These filings are the first criminal charges tied to the collision that stunned the Hyde Park neighborhood in early May.
Charges filed
Prosecutors filed vehicular manslaughter and related traffic charges against 80-year-old William Luken yesterday. The station reports that the charges stem from the May 1 collision in which a Chevrolet Corvette struck a Vespa scooter in the Hyde Park area.
How the crash unfolded
Cincinnati police told WCPO that the crash happened just before 10 a.m. A Chevrolet Corvette was traveling westbound on Erie Avenue and attempted a left turn onto Pinehurst, crossing in front of an eastbound Vespa scooter. The impact threw the scooter rider off the vehicle. The rider was later pronounced dead at the scene, and police said the driver stayed on scene and was not injured.
Victim identified
The Hamilton County Coroner identified the man who died as 26-year-old Noah Patsfall, WLWT reported. Local obituaries and reporting described Patsfall as a recent Cincinnati State student and a 2018 graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Left-turn crashes and risk
Crashes in which a vehicle turns left across the path of a motorcycle or scooter are among the priority pre-crash scenarios identified in federal research, and they can be disproportionately deadly for riders. A research report on motorcycle pre-crash scenarios lists left-turn across-path collisions among the types targeted for prevention and vehicle-safety research, context that helps explain why collisions like the one in Hyde Park often prove fatal for riders, according to the U.S. DOT.
What happens next
Local12's story did not include an arraignment date or bond information, and initial reports do not show that prosecutors have provided additional details. Anyone who witnessed the May 1 crash was asked to contact the Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Unit. Earlier reporting listed 513-352-2514 as the department's tip line, according to WCPO.
