May 30, 2025 3 min read

North Strabane Township police filed charges Wednesday in an October crash that killed an Oakdale man and seriously injured his wife.

Gregory Richard Gold, 56, of North Strabane, faces felony charges of homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle, as well as misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.

According to the criminal complaint, shortly after 11 p.m. Oct. 25 police were called to the intersection of Route 19 and Demar Boulevard in North Strabane. Gold was driving north on Route 19, crossed two lanes and crashed into the rear of a vehicle in the left turning lane waiting to turn onto Demar.

The vehicle was being driven by Michael Fayad, and his wife, Deanna Fayad, was in the front passenger seat. Police said Michael Fayad was declared dead at the scene and died of blunt force trauma to the head and neck.

Charging documents state that Deanna Fayad was taken by helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh with brain injuries, six broken ribs, an injured tailbone and a lacerated spleen.

According to the complaint, the collision caused the Fayads’ vehicle into a southbound vehicle occupied by Arden and Kaylee Bartos. Kaylee Bartos had an ankle injury as a result.

Gold told police at the scene he had “several” gin and tonic drinks at a bar in Washington prior to the accident. At about 12:45 a.m. Gold had blood drawn at Canonsburg Hospital. Court records state his blood alcohol content was 0.073%.

Investigators believe that Gold struck the cement barrier on Route 19 about nine seconds before the crash and grinded against it for about 400 feet.

According to the complaint, Gold drove over the cement traffic island, turned to the far-right lane, and then rapidly back into the far-left lane where he struck the Fayads’ car.

Charging documents state that data from Gold’s vehicle indicates he was driving 74 mph at the time of the crash.

Police spoke with Nicole Neighbors, a passenger in Gold’s vehicle, in February. She allegedly disclosed that Gold has a condition that causes him to pass out when he coughs, and that he briefly lost consciousness while at the bar, the complaint states.

Prior to the accident, Neighbors told investigators that Gold coughed and then went quiet. She called his name and then reached for the steering wheel, which allegedly caused the crash, court documents read.

Gold is scheduled to appear for a preliminary arraignment before District Judge James Saieva at 1:30 p.m. June 10.