A 23-year-old Derry Township man is facing charges after state police say he blew through a red light on Route 30 in Hempfield Township going nearly 25 mph over the limit, slamming into another car and leaving his own passenger with serious injuries. Rhian Ward was charged this week in connection with the June 23 crash at the intersection of Route 30 and Georges Station Road, which happened around 2:30 a.m.
Speed, Beer Bottles and a Red Light
According to TribLIVE, Ward was driving a Hyundai Tucson westbound on Route 30 when he ran a red light and struck a Kia Sorento that was crossing at Georges Station Road. Investigators say Ward's SUV was traveling between 73 and 74 mph just five seconds before impact, well above the posted 50 mph speed limit, and had slowed only to about 60 mph by the time it hit the other vehicle. Neither the brake nor the accelerator was being pressed at the moment of the crash, according to the outlet's reporting.
Troopers told the outlet that Ward admitted to drinking before getting behind the wheel. Investigators also say they found multiple open bottles of Yuengling beer inside his SUV, and that witnesses along with video surveillance identified him as the driver. Police determined Ward's blood-alcohol content was 0.137%, well above the legal limit, and that the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana was also present in his system, according to WTAE.
Two Hurt, One Seriously
Ward and his female passenger were both taken to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville, and both sustained serious injuries, per the TribLIVE report. Ward's passenger needed surgery and suffered numerous fractures along with a head injury, the station's report notes. The driver of the Kia Sorento involved in the crash suffered only minor injuries.
Police said the crash was a direct result of Ward failing to stop at a steady red signal, as state law requires. The case drew brief local news attention the morning it happened, when WPXI reported that at least one person had been hurt in a crash involving two SUVs on the busy roadway.
Charges and What Comes Next
Ward has been charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses. He is currently free on $25,000 unsecured bail, and a preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for Oct. 21. His attorney declined to comment on the case, according to the same report.
The crash adds to a string of impaired-driving cases moving through Westmoreland County courts this year. In May, a 27-year-old woman was charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI and drug-related offenses following a separate serious crash in the county, WPXI reported. Last fall, a Westmoreland County man faced multiple charges after a Route 22 crash that injured three people, according to the outlet's earlier coverage.
State officials have continued to flag impaired driving as a persistent safety problem on Pennsylvania roads. PennDOT safety partners said 264 people were killed and 679 were seriously injured in impaired-driving crashes across the state last year, according to a statement posted on PennDOT's website. The agency also maintains a public crash information tool that tracks impaired-driving incidents statewide, among other crash data.
