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Charges against area driver withdrawn

2 min read

The Washington County district attorney’s office withdrew the two most serious charges against a McDonald man accused of killing two men in a single-car crash in Smith Township last July.

First Assistant District Attorney Chad Schneider said his office chose not to “include the vehicular homicide while driving under the influences charges in the information” against Jordan D. Jacobson, 20, of 108 Terrace St., during a formal arraignment Tuesday before Washington County Common Pleas Judge Gary Gilman.

“There was a lack of evidence to the DUI charge,” Schneider said.

Jacobson lost control on a sharp left-hand curve on Joffre-Bulger Road July 27 and tried to correct the car, but that prompted the vehicle to “barrel roll” for more than 250 feet, state police said. Michael “Dillon” Gregg, 22, of Bulger, and Joseph Bowland, 20, of McDonald, were both ejected from the vehicle and later died at Weirton (W.Va.) Medical Center. Benjamin Bowman, 20, of McDonald, suffered serious injuries in the crash.

Investigators estimated that Jacobson was driving 78 miles per hour when he lost control of the car. State police also said he was high on marijuana at the time, having smoked the drug less than an hour before the crash.

Schneider said a blood test was conducted on Jacobson after the crash. However, Schneider said it was only a “medical draw.”

“A medical draw only shows whether someone tests positive or negative. A legal draw shows levels of substances,” he said. “Without that part, we cannot attribute DUI to the cause.”

He had been charged with two counts of homicide by vehicle while DUI. Jacobson still faces two vehicular homicide counts, aggravated assault, aggravated assault while driving under the influence, reckless driving and speeding.

He is free on a $100,000 unsecured bond.

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