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Felony death charge dismissed, driver pleads guilty on traffic violation

3 min read
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A Washington County jury was to consider next week circumstances that eventually contributed to the death of a Mon Valley grandmother.

Jurors were to decide if pedestrian Suzanne Ritenour fell or if she was struck by a vehicle.

But the case never made it to jury selection because two summary offenses and a felony charge of a traffic accident involving death were disposed of Thursday.

Mary A. Matz, 34, whose address was listed as both Long Branch and Coal Center, entered a guilty plea to a summary charge of careless driving and paid $897 for a fine and related costs, according to court records.

The chain of events began Feb. 1, 2016, when regional police were called to the Allenport Rod and Gun Club, where Ritenour and her 10-year-old grandson had been headed to purchase candy bars.

Ritenour, 58, appeared to be sick or injured but didn’t know what had happened.

Her 10-year-old grandson gave police a statement his grandmother fell when they were crossing the street, and Matz stopped her vehicle, helped Ritenour get up and offered to drive them home, according to attorney Peter Marcoline III, who represented Matz.

An ambulance arrived for Ritenour, who was flown by helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, where she was diagnosed with a brain bleed.

A few days later, the boy changed his account, saying his grandmother was struck by the vehicle Matz was driving.

First Assistant District Attorney Dennis Paluso said Friday a note in the case file indicated the boy’s second statement was recorded, but that a recording was never produced.

Police said they had hoped to interview Matz Feb. 10, 2016, but she did not appear.

Months passed, and Ritenour died July 16, 2016, in Mountain View Specialty Care Home, Unity Township.

The Westmoreland County coroner’s office said the cause of Ritenour’s death was cardiopulmonary failure due to physiological stress, immobility and brain trauma.

Police filed charges against Matz in March 2017.

Marcoline said there were “inconsistencies” at Matz’s preliminary hearing before District Judge Larry Hopkins, who ordered all charges be forwarded to Washington County Court.

Judge Valarie Costanzo scheduled a pretrial conference Thursday. Meanwhile, the prosecution learned that the boy would be unavailable to testify next week at Matz’s trial.

“Without him, we had no case,” Paluso said. “He’s the only person who said it happened that way.”

Assistant District Attorney John Friedmann Thursday asked that the judge dismiss the felony charge against Matz, plus summary charges of giving police false information and failing to stop and give information or render aid.

The guilty plea to the remaining summary charge of careless driving was “a mitigated decision on (Matz’s) part rather than having to go to trial,” Marcoline said. “It was a reasonable agreement to resolve on both sides of the case.”

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