Recieved some bad news from home....

[fsstnotch]

Well... I was on the phone with my wife this morning when my sister called her and said she had some good news and bad news.... The good, my cousin finally had her baby! The bad, my cousin's Mother (my aunt), was coming out of a sports bar last night arund 1030 with her boyfriend after watch the Arizon Pittsburgh game when they were hit by a truck. I don't know the exact details of the incident, but what I've been told is that a newer model black dodge pickup hit them, backed up, and hit them again before fleeing the scene. Witnesses got the first 3 of the plate. My aunt is in intesive care in a coma and her boyfriend has passed. From what I've been told... it doesn't look good, she is 45! If everyone could please pray for her, I appreciate it!

[fsstnotch]

The local newspaper reads:

Erie police look for driver in fatal hit and run
1 pedestrian dead, another in intensive care

Erie police are looking for the driver of a black or blue pick-up truck who struck two pedestrians Sunday night, killing one.

Police said that the truck is a newer model Dodge with an extended cab. The first three letters of the license plate could be “FTJ,” police said.

The truck struck the pedestrians at the corner of West 26th and Hazel streets at about 10:05 p.m. Both were taken to Hamot Medical Center by ambulance for treatment, police said.

One died shortly after arriving at the hospital, the other remained in the intensive care unit early this morning, police said.

Anyone with information about the incident should contact Erie Police Detective Sgt. Jim Spagel or Detective Jon Peters at 870-1154 or 870-1159.

[Ron61]

Fsstnotch,

Sorry to hear the bad news and you and all of yours will be in my prayers. I hope they catch the jerk soon and then he should be taken out and ran over a few times.

Ron

[trularin]

It's in the works.

I am sure there will be members with prayers for your aunt.

[Jamo]

Sad...my best to your family.

[fsstnotch]

Update, they have found the truck and it's owner... this was no accident! My aunt goes into surgery tomorrow morning, if she makes it through that, things will be looking up for her.

An Erie man told police Monday that he argued briefly with Stephen Caldwell and Terry Peoples shortly before witnesses saw him run them over with his 1998 Dodge Ram truck Sunday night.

The man admitted to Erie police detectives that he “felt a thump” as he pulled away from the curb and that he later powerwashed his pickup, according to a search warrant police issued to inspect the man’s vehicle.

Caldwell and Peoples were struck by a vehicle late Sunday along West 26th Street, near the intersection with Hazel street.

Caldwell, 42, died early Monday morning from injuries he received in the incident.

Peoples, age not given, is a patient at Hamot Medical Center. Hamot would not provide Peoples’ medical condition, though Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk said that she is on life support.

Police have not filed charges. The police Identification Unit is still examining the truck, Foulk said.

In the search warrant, police said the truck’s driver told detectives that he had been drinking Sunday night at the Knights of St. John, 660 W. 26th St., when he walked outside around 10 p.m. and saw Caldwell and Peoples making out near his parked truck.

“He said something like ‘better not scratch my truck,’” the warrant stated. “They said something back and (Caldwell and Peoples) joked with each other.”

Read more about the incident and the police search in Tuesday’s Erie Times-News.

[BMK]

Sorry to hear. It's hard to get this news when so far away from home. At least they have the guy.

Hope she is out of intensive care soon.

[Wayne Maybury]

I am very surprised that the police have not charged him with anything yet. Since he power washed the truck, that is an indication (maybe not proof) that he was trying to remove any evidence that he hit them. It is amazing how a harmless discussion can escalate to this level. One person dead, another on life support, and the driver possibly facing many years behind bars.

I hope that she pulls through.

Wayne

[fsstnotch]

Thanks guys!

Last word is that her liver is messed up, she will be in surgery this morning for that. My wife also said her back is pretty messed up and the doctors are saying she probably will not walk again. This is the latest news article, it all but says he did this intentionally and there would appear to be a couple witnesses as well.

An Erie man told police Monday that he argued briefly with Stephen Caldwell and Terry Peoples shortly before witnesses saw them be run over by a 1998 Dodge Ram truck Sunday in the 600 block of West 26th Street.

Wesley Urch Jr., no age given, of the 2600 block of Myrtle Street, told Erie police detectives that he "felt a thump" as he pulled his truck away from the curb, according to a search warrant police issued to inspect Urch's vehicle.

He also said he later power-washed his pickup, according to the warrant.

Caldwell, 42, died early Monday at Hamot Medical Center from injuries he received in the incident.

Peoples, no age listed, was taken to Hamot with serious injuries.


Hamot officials would not provide Peoples' medical condition, but Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk said that she is on life support.

Police had not charged Urch or anyone else in connection with the incident as of late Monday.

"We have a person of interest who we are talking to," Erie police Capt. Frank Kwitowski said. "The investigation is focused."

Erie police impounded Urch's vehicle late Monday afternoon.

"We have a vehicle in custody at the Erie police station," Foulk said Monday night. "It's being examined by the (the police) Identification Unit."


According to the search warrant, Urch told police detectives that he had been drinking Sunday night at the Knights of St. John, 660 W. 26th St., when he walked outside the club around 10 p.m.

He said he saw Caldwell and Peoples making out near his truck, which was parked on the north side of West 26th Street.

"He said something like 'Better not scratch my truck,'" the warrant stated. "They said something back and (Caldwell and Peoples) joked with each other."

Urch said that he then got in his truck, pulled out onto West 26th Street and "felt a thump. He knew he hit something but continued on," according to the warrant.

Witnesses at the scene said that they saw the truck back up and then accelerate toward Peoples, who had walked onto West 26th Street. The truck struck Peoples and knocked her into Caldwell, causing Peoples to fall and Caldwell to stagger.


The pickup then continued forward, witnesses told police, running over Peoples and then striking Caldwell. It then headed west on West 26th Street and eventually turned south onto Poplar Street.

Urch told police that after he arrived home, he told his girlfriend that he "believed that he had struck someone with his vehicle," according to the warrant. He said he later took the truck to a car wash and power-washed it, the warrant said.

It is amazing that someone could get so bent out of shape over somehting so trivial! I mean.. are a few words to each other really worth that much to you?!

[imagine2frolic]

This is the type of person that needs to be removed from the gene pool forever, and I do mean forever. Either the death penalty, or never paroled. I myself prefer the death penalty!

[fsstnotch]

I say "EQUAL opportunity!!!" Let someone run him over a few times!!!! Then let him suffer in pain if he's still alive at that point!

[trularin]

It will be interesting to see how Wesley's trial plays out.

[Wayne Maybury]

Originally Posted by trularin

It will be interesting to see how Wesley's trial plays out.

I am sure that his future lawyer is wishing that he would just keep his mouth shut at this time. It sounds like he has all but admitted to hit and run causing death while intoxicated. Washing the truck also means that he was trying to cover his tracks.

Wayne

[fsstnotch]

Well... some good news! She is awake! I finally got some better details! She woke up this morning, they postponed her surgery until they can get her blood pressure stabilized. Her face is swollen very badly and she can't see anything. She was able to write on a piece of paper what she remembered happening. She has a lacerated liver, broken back, multiple broken bones elsewhere, and they're not sure about her spleen yet. She doesn't appear to any brain damage at this time. She hasn't been told yet that her boyfriend didn't make it because that would just make her upset. I guess she is unrecognizable at this point, but the plastic surgeon said he could fix her up once she is more stable.

My grandma has already contacted a lawyer who has given her the news that, if the ruling is that this was intentional, his insurance will not be liable. That is just plain phucked up!!!!!!!!!

[Madmiles442]

Good news! A step in the right direction!
I'll second the death penalty. And we're good at that down here in Texas. Let's bring ole Wesley down here for a visit....

[fsstnotch]

Well, I was on the phone with my wife at noon when the local news came on. Wesley is in custody on an "unrelated parole violation." Erie police have not filed any charges yet as they are trying to hold off until my aunt can HOPEFULLY give a good statement if she even remembers. They can't charge him twice for the same crime so they want to make sure they get it right the first time. If they file manslaughter charges.. he gets off on murder, and if they file murder and can't convict, he gets off scott free. There are a number of witnesses that say it looks like no accident. One guy said wesley had threatened something bad could happen to them. Since he is on parole.. he's obviously not a real winner.. put him away!!!!

[Midwest Classic]

Originally Posted by fsstnotch

Well... some good news! She is awake! I finally got some better details! She woke up this morning, they postponed her surgery until they can get her blood pressure stabilized. Her face is swollen very badly and she can't see anything. She was able to write on a piece of paper what she remembered happening. She has a lacerated liver, broken back, multiple broken bones elsewhere, and they're not sure about her spleen yet. She doesn't appear to any brain damage at this time. She hasn't been told yet that her boyfriend didn't make it because that would just make her upset. I guess she is unrecognizable at this point, but the plastic surgeon said he could fix her up once she is more stable.

My grandma has already contacted a lawyer who has given her the news that, if the ruling is that this was intentional, his insurance will not be liable. That is just plain phucked up!!!!!!!!!

What you need to do with the "intentional" thing is getting him to admit that he did not intend to kill or hurt someone to the degree that he did. Intentional acts are not covered but did he really intend to kill someone, he would probably say no. Did he really intend to put someone in the hospital on life support and probably surgery after surgery for an undetermined amount of months or years, probably not.

You should also have her turn this into her own automobile insurance carrier as there is coverage under most policies for pedestrians.

Good luck, any questions let me know.

Robbin
Midwest Classic Insurance

[fsstnotch]

Midwest, those standards don't vary from state to state? This happened in PA if that helps. Also, she has been driving the same car for probably the last 10 years so it is unlikely that she carried full coverage. Would her being a pedestrian still possibly be covered under her auto insurance?

[Midwest Classic]

Not sure if PA has anything strange as far as laws go on this case. In most cases she should have coverage under the medical payments coverage on her policy and possibly under her uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

[fsstnotch]

Charges filed!

Wesley Urch looked unemotional.

Clad in his brown prison uniform, Urch rubbed his chin, gave reporters a quick stare and matter-of-factly glanced at the judge.

In seconds, he couldn't face any of them as he learned he could spend the rest of his life in prison for mowing down an Erie couple with his truck.

Wesley R. Urch Jr. is accused of running over and killing Stephen E. Caldwell and seriously injuring Caldwell's girlfriend, Terri Peoples, along West 26th Street late Sunday.

Urch was arraigned Thursday evening in the Erie Bureau of Police squad room in the basement of City Hall before Erie 1st Ward District Judge Sue Mack, who sent Urch to the Erie County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bond.


Urch is charged with involuntary manslaughter, vehicular manslaughter, leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury, failure in duty to give aid, driving on the left side of the street and two counts each of recklessly endangering another person and aggravated assault.

Urch first sat expressionless across from Mack, but his face grew red with the judge's recitation of the events written in the criminal complaint against him.

His salt-and-pepper hair quivered as he whimpered into his forearm.

Mack asked if Urch had anything else to say.

He looked at the table and his tear-drenched sleeve.


"I'm sorry for what I did," he whispered.

According to the criminal complaint, two witnesses saw a man in the driver's seat of a truck, matching a description of Urch's Dodge, arguing with the couple near the Knights of St. John club about 10 p.m. Sunday. Witnesses told police that Peoples walked into the street near the truck while arguing with the man.

That's when the dark, 1998 Dodge Ram backed up, then moved forward, ramming Peoples into Caldwell. The truck then accelerated forward, running over Peoples and striking Caldwell, according to the witnesses.

Police said the truck belongs to Urch and that he was driving.

Caldwell died at 1:11 a.m. Monday at Hamot Medical Center as a result of his injuries. Peoples is in the intensive care unit at Hamot, but she is sedated and unable to speak, Erie County District Attorney Brad Foulk said.


"We're very fortunate this wasn't a double fatal," Foulk said. "It is the opinion of the Erie County District Attorney's Office that Mr. Urch intentionally, knowingly and recklessly drove his Dodge pickup truck into the eastbound lane of West 26th Street" and hit the victims.

Foulk said that although Erie County Coroner Lyell Cook ruled Caldwell's death "accidental," he is pursuing the case, in part, because Caldwell died of "multiple blunt force trauma."

Urch said he "felt a thump" as he pulled away from the curb, according to a search warrant that police got for Urch's truck. Police also said Urch admitted he took his truck to a nearby car wash after the incident.

Police impounded the truck and searched it.

Foulk said DNA samples from Peoples are being compared with samples connected to the incident. He would not give details about the samples.


The district attorney also said that samples sent to the state police laboratory in Lawrence Park Township will be sent to another laboratory for further tests.

He said he did not know when the results would be available.

At the time of the incident, Peoples and Caldwell had been dating for about a month, Peoples' mother told news media on Wednesday. Caldwell was married but living separately from his wife. Caldwell's wife and her family have declined to comment.

Police interviewed witnesses at the St. John club who said they saw Urch drink eight to 12 "seabreeze" mixed drinks between 2 and 9:30 p.m. Sunday. Foulk said the drinking was a violation of his parole from state prison.

State parole officers took Urch to the State Correctional Institution at Albion for the violations. His sentence is scheduled to expire in 2012.


Chief Deputy District Attorney Jack Daneri has been assigned to prosecute the case.

If convicted on all charges and sentenced to serve the terms consecutively, Urch would face 50 to 100 years in prison. He is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing on Oct. 12.