State police have charged a Derry Township man with homicide by vehicle in the death of a Blairsville woman in October of last year.
71-year-old Harriet Malloy was fatally injured in the crash October 17th on Route 982 in Derry Township. 20-year-old Samuel Robert Grace III of New Alexandria told police he felt he was hydroplaning as he rounded a curve near Laughlin Farm Road and crossed the centerline, colliding head-on with Malloy’s car. He said he applied his brakes but couldn’t stop. Police say he was going 70 miles per hour in the 40 mile-per-hour zone.
Malloy was flown from the scene and died at UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh. Her 9-month-old great grandchild was uninjured. Grace suffered minor injuries. In addition to homicide by vehicle, he’s charged with reckless endangerment and additional summary traffic violations, including exceeding the maximum posted speed limit by thirty miles per hour. He is free on $10,000 unsecured bond.
