Oakdale teen to stand trial in fatal hit-and-run on Southern Beltway
A teen from Allegheny County accused of being involved in a fatal hit-and-run on the Southern Beltway last year will stand trial on all charges following his preliminary hearing Thursday morning.
Jaxon Ramon Farrell, 18, of Oakdale, appeared before District Judge Lou McQuillan, who bound his charges over for trial in connection with the Aug. 25 incident in which state police said he struck and killed a trucker working on his rig that was pulled off the highway.
Police said Farrell’s vehicle hit 46-year-old Brian Everhart of Russellville, Tenn., while he was outside of his vehicle on the ramp from Route 22 to the Southern Beltway in Robinson Township.
Farrell apparently tried to drive between another vehicle and Everhart’s tractor-trailer, but struck the rear of two trailer tires before hitting the trucker, according to court documents. Police said Farrell then drove east on the toll road for another mile before his car became disabled from damage sustained in the incident. A witness told police that he saw Farrell changing his tire and using zip-ties to repair his bumper, investigators said.
Farrell claimed he never saw Everhart and would have stopped had he known he struck someone with his vehicle, although blood tests showed he had marijuana in his system at the time of the crash, according to court documents.
State police charged Farrell in late March with felony counts of homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, accident involving death, along with misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and reckless endangerment. He also faces numerous summary citations. McQuillan held Farrell for court.
Farrell’s defense attorney Michael Sherman could not be reached for comment on the preliminary hearing. Farrell is free on $150,000 unsecured bond while he awaits trial.