Homicide by vehicle charges filed in ’24 crash
A Fayette County man has been charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence stemming from a head-on fatal crash last year.
A Fayette County man has been charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence stemming from a head-on fatal crash last year.
John Delbert Celaschi Jr., 24, of Fayette City Road, Perryopolis, was charged Wednesday by state police with homicide by vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle by DUI, accidents involving death or injury while not licensed, DUI, DUI/unsafe driving, careless driving, careless driving-unintentional death, driving at unsafe speeds, driving with a suspended license and other traffic violations stemming from the Sept. 21 crash.
Charges were filed by state police in the office of District Judge Richard Kasunic in Star Junction.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, state police said Celaschi under compensated the curve in the 800 block of Brownsville Road in Jefferson Township, and crossed the center line, directly into the path of a vehicle driven by Quinte Lamar Brown, 26, of Donora.
Brown was pronounced dead at the scene by the Fayette County coroner. Celaschi was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va.
The following day, PennDOT reported Celaschi’s license had been suspended since March 27, 2024.
On Sept. 24, a search warrant was granted for medical and lab reports and served to WVU Medicine Uniontown Hospital for Celaschi’s records.
On Sept. 30, police received the report, which showed Celaschi had been under the influence of cannabinoids and cocaine metabolites.
His BAC was .135, according to the affidavit.
A collision reconstruction report supplied to police on Dec. 30 showed Celaschi failed to navigate a turn and crossed the double yellow line directly in to Brown’s lane and hit the vehicle head on.
Celaschi was arraigned Wednesday and released after posting $20,000 bond. Celaschi faces a preliminary hearing April 2.
