Pittsburgh, PA : South Park man to stand trial in Bethel Park crash death on Friday, 9th September 2016

Christopher Beck, surrounded by his family in a nearly empty city courtroom Downtown, put his head into his hands and cried.

Moments earlier, on Friday, he had been held for court by District Judge Daniel Butler on more than a dozen charges in connection with the death of one of his closest friends.

The key witness against the 18-year-old from South Park was another close friend — one who survived the May 15 single-car crash that claimed the life of 16-year-old Shane Phillips of South Park.

Jacob Balcer, who turned 17 in June, testified Friday that Mr. Beck, had a case of beer in the trunk of his car the night of May 14 and that all three had been drinking. He estimated that Mr. Beck, who was charged as an adult because he was 18 at the time of the accident that occurred in Bethel Park, had consumed about a half-dozen beers that night as they rode around, visiting a grocery and a convenience store.

Jacob said the three were traveling on Stoltz Road, following a friend to the friend’s house. Shane was in the back passenger seat; Jacob was in the front.

All of a sudden, Mr. Beck began accelerating. “Chris started calling out the speed: 70, 80, 90,” Jacob testified. He said he looked at the speedometer just before the car spun out of control and he saw the needle at or near 100 mph. The speed limit was 35 mph on the road.

The vehicle hit a tree and a fire hydrant.

Jacob said he climbed from the broken window and saw that Shane was in bad shape in the back seat. He said Mr. Beck went to the trunk of the vehicle to remove the case of beer. He said Mr. Beck was going to hide it.

During cross-examination, defense attorney Casey White elicited testimony indicating that Mr. Beck was trying to catch up to the friend they were following.

Jacob sustained a concussion. Mr. Beck had a gash to his head that required staples. Shane died of blunt force trauma to the head and chest.

Bethel Park police officer Colby Grubich said Mr. Beck failed a field sobriety test, though he acknowledged the test was administered before the officer realized Mr. Beck had received a blow to the head. The officer said Mr. Beck slurred his speech, but the officer conceded that, during a subsequent police interview, he realized that Mr. Beck has a speech impediment.

No evidence was presented about Mr. Beck’s blood-alcohol level. A recent U.S. Supreme Court case determined that blood evidence can be collected only with a warrant. Police did not have a warrant for the blood evidence that was collected from Mr. Beck at Jefferson Hospital, where he was taken the night of the accident.

Mr. Beck was held for court on charges ranging from homicide by vehicle while driving drunk and homicide by vehicle to involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment of another person, to furnishing alcohol to minors and reckless driving. In all, there are 16 charges, two of which are felonies. He is free on $150,000 bond. His arraignment in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court is set for Oct. 11.

Source :
South Park man to stand trial in Bethel Park crash death