2 men charged in crash that killed Serra Catholic student
By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
Two men were arrested Wednesday in connection with a deadly crash involving a school van in Dravosburg in September that claimed the life of Serra Catholic High School sophomore Samantha Kalkbrenner.
Kalkbrenner, 15, was killed Sept. 20 when her school van was involved in the 7:25 a.m. crash at the intersection of Richland Avenue and Third Street.
William Soliday II, 43, of Irwin, the driver of the Jetta who hit the van, and the driver of the Jeep, 37-year-old Andrew Voigt of Pittsburgh, who was racing the Jetta leading up to the crash, have each been arrested and charged, according to Allegheny County police.
Soliday faces multiple charges including criminal homicide, homicide by vehicle, four five counts of recklessly endangering another person, four counts of aggravated assault by vehicle and single counts each of racing on a highway, careless driving and reckless driving.
Voigt is charged with one count of accident involving death or personal injury, five counts of recklessly endangering another person, and single counts each of driving at an unsafe speed, racing on a highway, careless driving, reckless driving and failure to stop and give information or render aid.
When first responders arrived at the scene, they learned the crash involved an occupied school van and a Volkswagen Jetta GTI.
Kalkbrenner was pronounced dead at the scene, and three other students were taken to UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh to be treated for their injuries.
The driver of the van, an adult male, was also taken to the hospital in critical condition following the crash. Neither his name nor his condition has been released.
Detectives with the Allegheny County Police Department’s Homicide and Collision Reconstruction Units identified multiple videos and witnesses connected to the crash.
Video from inside the school van shows the driver of the van checked each direction multiple times before entering the intersection to make a left hand turn from Third Street onto Richland Avenue, police said.
After entering the intersection, the school van was struck by the Volkswagen.
Additional video shows a dark-colored Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk passing through the intersection immediately following the collision, police said.
Multiple witness statements were given indicating the Volkswagen and Jeep were traveling at a high-rate of speed and appeared to be racing as they crossed the Mansfield Bridge traveling towards the intersection of Richland Avenue and Third Street prior to the crash.
Additional videos obtained by detectives appear to back up the witness accounts.
Police said both men work at a nearby business approximately a quarter of a mile from the scene of the collision.
Police obtained search warrants for the Volkswagen and the Event Data Recorder (EDR) was recovered from inside the vehicle. The EDR recorded speeds in excess of 100 mph in the seconds leading up to the crash.
Police said when the Volkswagen hit the van, it was traveling around 90 mph.
To read the rest of the story, please see a copy of Thursday’s Mon Valley Independent, call 724-314-0035 to subscribe or subscribe to our online edition at http://monvalleyindependent.com.
