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Driver's speed focus of testimony
At least that's the prosecution's contention as its case against Britnee Moore moved through its second and final day of testimony Tuesday.
Moore, 20, of 135 W. Lincoln St., is accused of driving at a high speed on Route 218 March 13, 2007, and while allegedly reaching for a cell phone, she crossed the center line and slammed head-on into a car driven by 16-year-old Hope Maley of Waynesburg.
The jury of six men and six women will begin deliberating today whether Moore should be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, homicide by vehicle and other traffic-related offenses, including speeding and reckless driving, or find her not guilty.
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A majority of Tuesday's testimony focused on the speed authorities believe Moore was traveling when the collision occurred shortly after 9 p.m.
It was apparent few if any associated with the case dispute Moore was traveling at a faster rate than Maley.
The question then became how much faster was Moore traveling and how could her speed be determined since there were no marks that any evasive action, such as breaking, skidding or steering, took place.
Sgt. Joseph D'Andrea, a state police collision analyst and accident reconstructionist, said he used gouge marks on the road and fluid trails left by both vehicles' ruptured radiators to determine the cars' speeds, paths of travel and the point of impact.
He determined that Moore crossed the center lane on a curve and was almost completely in the oncoming lane when she collided with Maley's car.
The impact moved Maley's car backward, and it eventually came to a rest in a field nearby. Moore's car rotated and continued moving forward. This indicates that Moore's car was traveling much faster than Maley's car, since both vehicles were relatively the same size, D'Andrea said.
D'Andrea talked about conservation of momentum, conservation of energy, mass times velocity, angle of approach, angle sensitivity and perception/reaction in describing how he arrived at his conclusion.
Nonetheless, D'Andrea did conclude Moore was traveling in excess of 70 miles per hours at the time of the crash.
Moore was traveling in the northbound lane, and Maley was traveling south. The collision took place in the southbound lane.
"The entire front end of Moore's vehicle was in Maley's lane," D'Andrea said.
D'Andrea was asked what role the cell phone distraction may have played. "If Moore was going 70 miles per hour in her own lane, this crash never happens."
The defense countered D'Andrea's testimony with that from Dr. Ronald Eck, a self-employed consulting engineer from Morgantown, W.Va. Eck, a civil engineer by profession, was allowed by Nalitiz to testify as an expert on accident reconstruction.
Although he was hesitant to say what speed Moore may have been traveling, he did say the prosecution should have used a range of values to determine the speed the car was traveling.
Eck said Moore's car did hit Maley's vehicle, the impact of which pushed Maley's car backward and off of the roadway.
"That does show that Moore was traveling faster but I cannot assign a specific speed," Eck said.
JAIL TIME! : 6/3/2009
Going to waste another little girls life so the residents of greene county can warehouse another person. I remember when greene county had real jobs. If greene county wants to warehouse people, I think they should look no further than BILL DEWEESE AND JOHN ( I HATE MARINES) MURTHA!
JAIL TIME!! : 6/3/2009
What the hell does Murtha and Deweese have to do with this killer? NOTHING! You can try to redirect all you want but she broke the law and caused Hope Maley's death. Warehouse? What a retarded defense. Okay, if that were the case, why didn't we let Franklin Virgili go free for shoving that poor girl down the mine shaft? Why don't we just let out all the killers? The truth of the matter is if the driver of the car that killed Hope Maley was some 50 something drunk on disability from Clarksville you villagers would be at the courthouse with your torches and pitchforks. The fact that Britnee is a pretty young girl from Waynesburg seems to mean she should not be responsible for her actions. Your logic is flawed, and if the jury follows the instruction of law by Judge Nalitz, she will be found guilty....regardless how pretty she is!
Reply to Sick of Spoiled Brat Kids with Everything : 6/3/2009
Thank you. You have the best responses I've read thus far, and I totally agree with you.
miss moore : 6/3/2009
no matter what happens to that poor young girl,it won't bring back hope its a horrible ' accident' i'm sure miss moore will alo never get over it. two wrongs don't make a right.
Jail time : 6/3/2009
Funny, I never heard Murtha say that he hates Marines
Forgiveness and compassion : 6/3/2009
Calling Ms. Moore a killer and a spoiled brat is taking things so far into hatred. It was an accident. It is an awful situation but claiming to be searching for God's justice in this situation is wrong on so many levels. Ms. Moore being a pretty young thing has what to do with it? Bitterness and revenge are not in God's plan. He has forgiven. Now it's your turn.
Jail Time : 6/3/2009
Why would a teenager be held like such a villain in this case for doing something that at least 80% of the people driving do? There are a number of distractions in a car for people of all ages with radios, cds, cell phones,etc. This young lady made a mistake in judgment at the worst. She will pay for it the rest of her life with the punishment coming from within. I only hope that she seeks God thru the love of Jesus Christ to be able to forgive herself. I feel this young lady needs to be embraced not treated like someone that was intentionally breaking the law. The law will decide but for all the posts condemning this young lady for an ACCIDENT I pray that you accept that we all fall short in someone's eyes at some time or another. God accepts all our faults as long as we repent. I am sure that this young lady is honestly sorry for her 1 moment of making a bad JUVENILE decision. The jury has a chance to save at least 1 life here! God bless both the families involved.
It could have been you : 6/3/2009
I feel pain for both families. This is a tragic loss, but it was an accident. We are all guilty of speeding at times, answering a cell phone, changing a radio station. Let us all learn from this unfortunate accident. A positive can be made from a negative. Miss. Moore will have to live with her actions for the rest of her life. That is a life sentence and punishment enough.
jail time : 6/3/2009
It wasn't an accident that she was driving like a bat out of hell on a curving road after dark. That was a deliberate action.
Re: Jesus loves them both. Why can't we? : 6/3/2009
You are 100% correct!!!
answer all the questions : 6/3/2009
Why is there still no mention of a drug test on Moore? We would all really like to have an answer to that question, Im sure that would play a huge roll in the outcome of this trial, I can not believe that after two years they are only going to do this in two days. Still so many unanswered questions....
speed : 6/3/2009
Anyone that has driven Rt 218 knows that people drive well over the speed limited every day and night. If this was such a horrible criminal act then why is there NEVER a police car on 218. I guess they don't care until someone is dead.
Promote Change : 6/3/2009
Placing Britnee in jail is not going to do anything for others on the road. Instead, I believe Britnee should have to start working on a law that eliminates cell phone usage while in the car. She should have to get names of people that agree and do some public speaking. Although this is not a jail sentencing, it still will be reminder enough of the life she took. She can work on saving more lives on the dangerous road of not only Greene County but PA as a state.
to everyone : 6/3/2009
It was an ACCIDENT she never entended to kill Hope. Put her in jail NO she has to live with this the rest of her life. Make her do community service like talking to other kids about driving and what can happen take away her license. But put her in jail NO. This does seem to be like a witch hunt. It's not going to bring back Hope nothing will.
jail time : 6/3/2009
Brant, I agree with you that it was deliberate. We all know there is nothing that will bring Hope back, but to defend Brittnee is absurd, she was driving at a high rate of speed on a winding road in the dark and reached for her phone, obviously that phone call was more important than Hope's life or Brittnee's own well being. Plus she lied to police and I have not seen much remorse from her in the articles and pictures or in person.
re: to everyone : 6/3/2009
you know i don't think she is the best person to be talking to other teens about driving. she should be kept far away from other teens, car keys and the cell phone. we need to throw her in jail for life so prison guards have something to do!
Tired.... : 6/3/2009
Reading responses such as, "Two wrongs don't make a right..." really tires me out. Since when is punishing someone for committing a crime a 'wrong'? Also, to suggest it is the fault of the police for not patrolling the road is even more absurd! Brant hit the nail on the head by pointing out that her speeding was a deliberate action. I am tired of the defense of, "Everyone else does it" as some sort of justification for breaking the law. We can only be responsible for OUR OWN ACTIONS and not that of others. This is the lesson the defenders of Miss Moore have forgotten somewhere along the way. This young lady is young and does not face a life sentence. However, she must pay her debt to society. Even if she does jail time, she WILL get out. She will have opportunities Hope will never have. Mr. and Mrs. Moore will have an opportunity to hold their grandchildren if this girl so desires to have them. Darlene will NEVER SEE HER DAUGHTER AGAIN. Therein lies the difference.
Accident, I think NOT!!!!!!!!! : 6/3/2009
Jail time, absoutely, not that it will make much difference to Brittnee. She will think the punishment she receives, if any, will justify the "accident". By now, we should all realize that cell phones and speed "do not cause accidents", it's the will of GOD> What a load of crap. Brittnee should be found guilty of manslaughter and stupidity. Nothing will bring Hope back, but just maybe her family can rest a little easier IF JUSTICE is done in the death of their daughter. My prayers go out to this family, what a terribel loss of human life, so young.
Jail for life? : 6/3/2009
Throw her in jail for life? What about the heroin addicts that in this town selling bags of "suicide"? They get a few fines out of it. And maybe a night or 2 in jail. And u want to put her in jail for life??
YOU ARE IN OUR PRAYERS BRITNEE : 6/3/2009
you people make me sick, saying that this girl did this deliberatly . BEFORE YOU IGNORANT PEOPLE GO POINTING FINGERS TAKE A LOOK AT WORNGS YOU HAVE DONE IN YOUR LIFE BEFOR ACCUSING SOMEONE. NO ONE ON HERE THAT HAS PUT A POST ON THIS SUBJECT CAN SAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN A PERFECT DRIVER. ALOT OF YOU HAVE PROBABLY USED THE CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING. AND i WOULD GAURANTEE THAT EVERYONE OF YOU HAS WENT OVER THE SPEED LIMIT. SO BEFORE YOU START THROWING STONES TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT YOUR ACCUSATIONS SAY ABOUT YOU. I BELIEVE THAT THIS GIRL PAYS EVERY DAY MENTALLY FOR THIS ACCIDENT BUT THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THIS WAS AN ACCIDENT.
jail time : 6/3/2009
The jury reached a verdict Brittnee is guilty of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and reckless endangerment. Justice was served.
Trial : 6/3/2009
If Hope had been killed by someone in their 30's, 40's or older, this wouldn't even be a discussion. We would all want the book thrown at them. Why is it any different because she is 20? She was the driver of her car. She was responsibile for her actions. If found guilty, she should face the consequences the same as any other person convicted of a crime. I doubt she set out to kill anyone with her car that day but I am sure did not leave her home that day thinking she would die either. It doesn't make it ok because other people speed on that road. People commit crimes daily that they didn't intend to do and they are in prison for life and some sentenced to death because they made one bad decision. They were found guilty and got the punishment they deserved. If she is found guilty, she should be punished accordingly. As for the comments on the cops, they can't be everywhere all the time. There are so many officers available in Greene County to patrol our roads and attempt to make it safe as best they can.
remorse : 6/3/2009
The true difference between letting Britnee "live with this the rest of her life" and going to jail is that she has no remorse and doesn't think of Hope and what she did to her at all. Being placed in jail for a while will definitely be a reminder for her to change her ways.
: 6/3/2009
where did everyone get the idea that she is a spoiled brat with everything? ACCIDENTS HAPPEN, i'm sure this girl wasn't sitting on the side of the road thinking today i'm going to kill someone and decided to go drive fast on 218 to do just that, what she did was reckless and negligent and it resulted in the loss of a life, and she should pay for that. believe me drug tests were completed that is routine the reason you did not hear about them is because they were negative, i live on 218 and yes i have been known to speed on this road, it is very heavy with traffic at times due to mine shift change and in 24 years of driving this road i can count on 1 hand police presence all at the same place, the grange
Enough Is Enough : 6/3/2009
I fully believe that speed, reaching for a cell phone, and not paying attentione to What Britnee was doing, shows me that she was not acting as a responsible human being. Hope did NOT make her speed, nor did Hope make her reach for that cell phone. I also agree about a drug test and why one wasn't taken the night of this accident. i can not be called anything but an accident, but I believe Britnee showed no responsibilty in regards to the laws set by Police and department of transportaion regarding speed limits, And I do belive that cell phones should be banned while driving, but to say see is being punished enough by having to live with this the rest of her life, to me is NOT punishment Enough. Hope will never be able to go to college, get married, have children, or will her parents ever see her again nor hold her and tell them how much they love her. I can't believe this trial took only two days, a lot of unanswered questions, no one will ever know. two families have been torn apart in different ways, but Britnee's family can see her, speak with her, and love her despite of the accident. Hope was just at the wrong place at the wrong time and became a victim of another young lady, who didnt seem to care about any one or anything that dreaful night.
Response to "warehouse that soul" : 6/3/2009
I do have to say that first of all, both of these girls are someone's child. The pain that is associated with this accident must be unbearable in both situations for a parent. But, to make a comment on "throw her in jail for life so the prison guards have something to do!" is the most heartless thing that you can say. There is no doubt, when the law is broken, that one must pay the consequences for their actions. But, people are not thrown in jail to give guards something to do. I would hope that these families can heal from such a terrible accident. And yes, an accident occurs when people are not paying attention. Britnee did not set out to harm anyone that night. Just the same as anyone that gets in the car and speeds to the next part of their day. It is our culture today to hurry, hurry, hurry on to the next event. She is no different. Apparently, there is a reason that this all happened and maybe she can be a voice to other drivers. I don't think any of us can judge her character by the way she looks in a newspaper photo. So to say she is not a person to speak to our teens, I feel is wrong. We all need to learn from this terrible mistake that happened when Britnee was a teen too. Lets not forget that. My prayers go out to everyone involved.
To a bunch of jerks : 6/3/2009
sick of shamefull blasting of B. Moore She has more than paid for this.It has been terrible for Britnee and the family Mrs Mayle will nwever have peace of mind untill she forgives Britnee.;Sure it is sad a life was lost this will not bring her back and to the person that said she is a killer you are a very sick person and more i9n likely a relatiion any way you are a big time jerk
Safe Driving : 6/3/2009
Well if anyone observed the trial poor Miss Moore showed NO remorse and was very disinterested during the whole trial. Remember laws are for us poor people I was very surprised that a Jury got it right. This was no accident she was speeding in the wrong lane and hit another vehicle head on! Remember driving in PA is a privlege not a right and we all must obey certain rules of the road and speeding and crossing into the oncoming lane and killing the other driver is against the law. This could have been you, me or our grandkids. Hope this sends a message to others ???
: 6/3/2009
I read this article http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/19647789/detail.html It states that both girls were traveling over the speed limit.
remorse : 6/3/2009
YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THIS GIRL FEELS OR GOES THROUGH EVERYDAY. YOU ARE SICK AND TWISTED FOR ACCUSING HER OF NOT BEING REMORSEFUL. GET A LIFE AND QUIT BADGERING THIS YOUNG LADY.
the honorable thing : 6/3/2009
maybe instead of bringing charges against this young girl, Hopes mother should have done something that would have honored her daughter like help with laws aginst cell phone use while driving. Hopes mother will always be a bitter person until she learns forgivness. Justice will come to all the vicious people posting nasty comments on here about Britnee. I certainly hope that people dont hold their tounges when you do something wrong, because remember your life is not over yet so remember this when you go loosely accusuing people that you dont know what your future holds
Enough is Enough : 6/3/2009
HAVE YOU EVER WENT EVEN 1 MILE OVER THE SPEED LIMIT??? IF SO THEN DONT BE POINTING FINGERS
Jesus loves them both, why can't we : 6/3/2009
What do you mean as long as she repents? Did she ever seem like she cared?? Seems like a SPOILED BRAT, with her nose stuck in the air ! Has she ever even said she was sorry? NO ! Has her Mom and Dad ever voiced any sorrow for Hope and her family? Not that I have heard. They should have been feeling so horrible that this happened to a beautiful child, but no, they stick their noses in the air as well. Yes, this could happen to anyones kid, but hopefully they might truely be sorry. You can't expect forgiveness if you don't ask. It's so funny how everyone would change their opinion the second it is in their family or circle of friends. What would the Moore's and other think had Britnee been the one killed? So easy to point finger at Hope's Mom and tell her not to care, isn't it?
another day : 6/3/2009
I feel that finding her quilty was the best thing cause if someone did the same thing that didnt have money so and so fourth they would have been locked up a long time ago, if we wonted to cut her a break then lets go back and look at everyone one elses case that is already in prison and say I am sure they didnt mean to do that... It happened if we could do that then I feel alot of people would be free iam not sure why everyone is makeing it a big deal that she got hurt to and she will be suffering so let her be free no she was speeding you would think this could be a lesson for everyone else no you all say I am sure you were spending b4 so one and so fourth I feel you do the crime you do the time sorry thats how I feel ( if we were to let her walk then I say that we should relook all the other cases and cut them a break tooooo) I think you people need to look at as its the law forget that its a young girl its the law if you can change them then do it.......also just because she got hurt she didnt pay for it sorry
: 6/3/2009
I'm sure she didn't do it deliberately, but she doesn't seem sorry. Neither do her uppity parents !!
Jerks : 6/4/2009
Did the drug test ever come back?
response to "remorse" : 6/4/2009
who are you to say that britnee has no remorse for what she has done? any human being on this earth is going to suffer a great deal after a horrible accident such as this not to mention the complete hell this community is putting britnee and her family through. i know both families and i completely agree that Mrs Mayle will never have peace of mind with the loss of her daughter until she forgives britnee. yes britneee desrves to pay for what she has done but to sit in prison for life? for years? like you people think is just totally outragous. britnee does have remorse she suffers every single day of her life. she is forced to hide it and keep it in because what the people of this community are doing. how do you know how britnee feels? are you a mind reader? do you know what she thinks inside her head all day and at night while in bed? no so do not say that she shows no remorse because that is absolutely ridiculous and ignorant. her life is completely ruined regaurdless of her conviction. it was ruined back in march 2007 and she lives with this everyday. my personal opinion this trail should have been taken out of greene county. my thoughts and prayers are with both families tonight. i pray for peace among hope's mother and father as well as britnee and her mother and father
Justice : 6/4/2009
Right or wrong, good or bad - no one wins. Ms. Moore will live her own private agony every day of her life - in or out of jail. I hope that all affected find peace and forgiveness.
Enough is Enough, I agree! : 6/4/2009
This sounds like a witch hunt. How can anyone make the comments that I have read here. We all make momentary mistakes no matter what our age is. This could be you, it could be me, it could be my daughter or son. Britnee made a split second mistake that has changed her life forever. Yes, it took Hope's life. Hope's mother and friends will never find any peace until they forgive. Britnee's status in the community has nothing to do with it. Jealousy destroys. Forgiveness would be the only profitable outcome of this situation.
STOP : 6/10/2009
The bottom line here is one person endangered and took the life of another. This could had been any of the posters family members. Stop and think how you would react. I doubt any of this jibberish would even be posted in this manner if this was one of your family members. It is easy to sit back and judge others when it isn't you. This girl deserves the same punishment others receive whether they are 16 or 60. If she pulled a gun on someone, shot them and they died would it not be considered murder because she was a teenager?
Absolutely : 6/11/2009
No teenager here. She is an adult and was an adult at the time of the crash. 18 years of age. If she pulled a gun,Yes, it would be considered murder. When you're guilty of a crime, you do the time. Bottom line.
