Charges have been filed against a teenage driver who caused the Upper Tulpehocken Township crash that killed two other teens on Dec. 26, 2017.
Although vehicular homicide charges have been filed, state police are not releasing the name of the 17-year-old driver because he is a juvenile.
State Police investigated the fatal crash that occurred at 4:19 p.m. on Bricker Road, Upper Tulpehocken Twp., Berks County.
Two passengers – Sean Orner, 18, Bethel, and Shanon Althouse, 18, Womelsdorf – were killed in the crash. Both were students at Tulpehocken Jr. Sr. High School.
The crash was investigated by the Troop L (Collision Anaylsis and Reconstruction Specialist Unit (CARS).
“Based on the information obtained through the investigation the juvenile driver was charged this week in Berks County Juvenile Court,” reported State Police. “He was charged with Homicide by Vehicle, Involuntary Manslaughter, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Driving on the Right Side of the Roadway, Driving on Roadways Laned for Traffic, Driving Vehicle at Safe Speed, and Reckless Driving.” In the December 2017 report released after the crash, State Police from Hamburg reported that a 2003 Oldsmobile Alero, driven by a 17-year-old teen boy from Womelsdorf, was headed south on Bricker Road approaching the intersection of Oakhill and Henne Road in Upper Tulpehocken Township at 4:32 p.m. The driver lost control of the vehicle and veered to the left, traveling off the roadway to the east side where it struck a large tree.
Police report that the impact with the tree caused the vehicle to split in half and separate into a field.
Passengers Orner and Althouse suffered fatal injuries and were pronounced deceased at the scene, according to State Police. The driver sustained moderate injuries.
