FARRELL Man waives preliminary hearing in vehicular deaths

FARRELL, Pa. -- A Bethlehem, Pa., man charged with vehicular homicide in the deaths of a New Castle couple has waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the charge.
Joseph C. Stemple Jr., 41, was scheduled for a hearing in the case Wednesday before District Justice Henry Russo but waived the case into common pleas court.
He remains held in Mercer County Jail on $100,000 bond on charges of vehicular homicide, drunken driving and recklessly endangering.
Shenango Township Police said he was the driver of a vehicle that went the wrong way on Pa. Route 60 and slammed head-on into a car driven by Donald Romanio, 69, of New Castle, around 5 p.m. Nov. 5.
Romanio's wife, Norma, 71, was killed in the crash. Romanio died later in St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown.
Stemple was admitted to St. Elizabeth Health Center in Youngstown for treatment of injuries and later released.
Police said he was driving north in the southbound lanes of Route 60 at the time of the crash. Court documents showed his blood alcohol count was 0.30 percent, well above the 0.08 percent, the level at which Pennsylvania law says a person is intoxicated.