A Pennsylvania man under the influence of methamphetamines who ran a red light and caused a fatal car crash has been sentenced to prison.
Deputy Attorneys General Danielle Brennan and William Leonard secured the sentence for William German, 27, of Garnet Valley, PA.
In June 2017, William German was speeding and passing other vehicles in the shoulder along Route 40 in Newark when he ran a red light at Glendale Boulevard and crashed into a car driven by 61-year-old Jacquelyn Scott-Crothers of Newark.
The crash killed her husband, 74-year-old John Crothers, who was a passenger and Scott-Crothers suffered serious injuries.
Originally charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, and DUI German pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of Manslaughter in January 2019, and was sentenced by a Superior Court judge to 5 years in prison, followed by 6 months of either work release or home confinement, then 2 years of probation.
Original Story
Bear – The Delaware State Police Collision Reconstruction Unit is investigating a fatal motor vehicle crash that occurred this afternoon, according to Director of Public Information Sergeant Richard D. Bratz.
Bratz said the preliminary investigation has determined the incident occurred around 2:35 p.m. Sunday, June 18, 2017 as a 61-year-old female from Newark was operating a 2011 Kia Soul with a 74-year-old male passenger, turning left from US 40 westbound onto Glendale Boulevard southbound. This vehicle had the green arrow signal, the right of way, and traffic in the straight lanes of US 40 in both directions were stopped for a red traffic signal, according to Bratz.
A 2011 Kia Optima was operated by William T. German, 25 of Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania and he was travelling at a reported high rate of speed on the right shoulder of US 40 eastbound, said Bratz. The shoulder became the right turn lane for Glendale Boulevard and William T. German proceeded straight into the intersection against the red light, according to Bratz. The front of the Kia Optima struck the right side of the Kia Soul in the area of the front wheel and passenger door. Both vehicles traveled eastbound from the collision and the Kia Soul came to a stop on the lanes of US 40 eastbound. The Kia Optima came to a stop on the grass southeast of the intersection.
The 74-year-old male of Newark, was properly restrained and removed from the scene by EMS and transported to the Christiana Hospital where he was pronounced deceased from injuries sustained in this collision. The 61-year-old driver was admitted to the ICU at Christiana Hospital with serious injuries. The names are being withheld pending next of kin notification.
William T. German, who was properly restrained, was removed by EMS and transported to the Christiana Hospital where he was admitted with minor injuries. Drugs are suspected on German’s part and he will be charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular assault and DUI upon release from the hospital, according to Bratz.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit is continuing their investigation into the crash. US 40 eastbound at Glendale Boulevard were closed for approximately three hours while the crash was investigated and cleared.
