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Ex-Slovan man arraigned on crash-related charges

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A former Slovan man was arraigned Thursday on charges including aggravated assault by motor vehicle in connection with a crash two years ago in which the truck he was driving collided with a vehicle driven by a Fredericktown woman, leaving the woman with debilitating injuries.

Bruce Wayne Mayer Jr., 29, of Perryopolis, Fayette County, also is charged by state police with several traffic violations including unlawful activities for driving a vehicle with defective brakes in the Feb. 13, 2015, crash at the intersection of Route 40 (Main Street) and Maiden Street in Beallsville that critically injured Danielle M. Salva.

State police said as a result of the crash, Salva, who was 25 at the time, suffered a traumatic brain injury, several fractures and other injuries. Her injuries, according to court documents filed by the arresting officer, caused permanent impairments including chronic pain, impaired cognition, fatigue, insomnia, impaired balance, reduced vision and difficulty in everyday living.

When state police arrived at the scene, they saw major damage to the driver’s side of Salva’s vehicle, apparently caused by the truck driven by Mayer. She had to be freed from the wreckage and was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital.

The investigation done by state police, including an accident reconstruction specialist, determined Mayer was going east on Route 40 in a Ford boom truck containing a load of drywall. Salva was going north on Maiden. As she drove through the intersection on a green light, Mayer failed to stop his truck for the red light and struck Salva’s vehicle, police said.

Cpl. John Peters, the investigating officer, and Trooper Todd Stephenson, the accident reconstruction specialist, inspected the truck and determined there were serious deficiencies in the braking system. Not one of the brakes was within the required threshold, according to court documents. Police said Mayer also failed to maintain a low enough gear to stay under 20 mph.

Stephenson interviewed the manager at Interstate Construction Supply, the company Mayer had been driving for at the time of the crash. The manager reportedly told the trooper Mayer always drove the same truck. Stephenson also allegedly was told by the manager that he has the trucks fixed when drivers report something is wrong or when the vehicles require inspection. The manager told Stephenson he did not receive any request for service to the truck involved in the crash.

Mayer was arraigned before District Judge Curtis Thompson and released on $20,000 unsecured bond. He is scheduled for a Feb. 23 preliminary hearing before Thompson.

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