43
Charges look likely in accident fueled by alcohol and road rage
By jeanne starmack
new wilmington, pa.
Police are still considering charges in a crash, apparently prompted by road rage, that seriously injured a woman.
Megan E. Roddy, 19, of Mercer, Pa., was hurt at 1:30 a.m. Saturday while turning into a private driveway off Pa. Route 208. Her car was struck on the driver’s side by a Jeep Cherokee driven by Sean Catterson, 21, of Frederick, Md. The Jeep was directly behind Roddy’s car when the accident happened.
Roddy was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, with head injuries, where she remains, said New Wilmington Police Chief Carmen Piccirillo.
He said a family member reported Roddy’s condition is improving, and that as of Monday, she was off a respirator.
“We continue to conduct the investigation, with a great likelihood of serious charges,” Piccirillo said Thursday.
He said Catterson indicated he believed Roddy was following him too closely, which started the road-rage episode. He said he has not been able to interview Roddy yet for her interpretation of events.
“These two don’t know each other,” he said. They passed each other a few times as they drove from Volant to New Wilmington, he said.
“We know excess speed, road rage and alcohol were involved,” Piccirillo said.
Neither Catterson nor his passenger, Brandon Ferrari, 20, of New Wilmington, were injured.