ELDRED TWP., Pa (EYT) – A 31-year-old man is facing felony charges after he reportedly crashed an ATV and left the scene of the accident with an injured child.
According to court documents, Marienville-based State Police on December 9 filed the following charges against 31-year-old Jeremy Robert Miller, of South Connellsville, Pa.:
– Endangering Welfare of Children – Parent/Guardian/Other Commits Offense, Felony 3
– Accidents Involving Death or Injury While Not Licensed – Acting with Negligence
– Aggravated assault by vehicle, Felony 3
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
– Driving While Operator’s Privilege Suspended Or Revoked, Summary
– Careless Driving – Serious Bodily Injury, Summary
– Failure To Report Accident To Police, Summary
– Unlawful Operation – Reg. Certificate, Summary
– Unlawful Operate Snow/Atv At Unsafe Speed, Summary
– Unlawful Operate Snow/ATV In Careless Way, Summary
– Accidents/Reports – Duty To Report Acc. To Dept, Summary
– Proof Of Insurance Req. Produced And Displayed, Summary
According to a criminal complaint, around 10:31 a.m. on July 7, Marienville-based State Police was dispatched to a hit-and-run crash on McCutcheon Road, in Eldred Township, Jefferson County.
The complaint states that Trooper Gerg, of PSP Marienville, arrived at the scene and saw around 10 feet of tire tracks along the left side of the roadway, leading to a group of trees that were struck. Trooper Greg also saw a dead deer approximately 50 feet away on the opposite side of the roadway.
Trooper Gerg spoke with the caller, who said he was sitting on his porch when he heard an ATV come up the road at a high rate of speed. The caller then heard a loud noise that was “consistent to that of a crashing vehicle.” The caller ran over and saw an ATV against a group of trees with a large male lying on the roadway unconscious and a young male, about five years old, crying with a “large bump” on his forehead, according to the complaint.
The complaint indicates that the adult male woke up and the caller asked him if he was okay. The caller noted the adult male was bleeding from his ears and “visibly shaken up.” The operator of the ATV related he had hit a deer, losing control of the ATV.
After being told by the caller that “help is on the way,” the adult male placed the minor on the ATV and said “we have to get out of here,” and then took off southbound on McCutcheon Road, according to the complaint.
The caller noted the adult male was “burly” with a short beard, wearing cowboy-like boots, and a green work shirt.
Police were later contacted by a known man requesting information about the crash and identifying the minor as his son. The man stated he was informed by his ex-girlfriend that their son had been in an “un-helmeted ATV crash” and had been taken to Clarion Hospital on July 7 and then air-lifted to Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the complaint.
The man said his son received severe injuries to his neck and face area, he was leaking spinal fluid, and needed to undergo multiple surgeries. He provided police with information on his son and ex-girlfriend, the complaint states.
The man was unaware the accident had not been reported by the operator of the ATV or his ex-girlfriend, the complaint notes.
Trooper Gerg then called the man’s ex-girlfriend who related her son and Jeremy Miller were involved in an ATV crash. She confirmed the injuries her six-year-old son had suffered were facial, skull, orbital, and nasal fractures, along with a spinal fluid leak. She stated that he was at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, according to the complaint.
The woman explained they were at Miller’s family camp and was unsure of the exact location.
According to the complaint, the witness to the incident identified Miller in a photo lineup. In addition, medical records confirmed that Miller was treated at Clarion Hospital on July 7.
Police also obtained the medical records for the injured boy, confirming his injuries.
During an interview with Miller by PSP Greensburg, he reportedly admitted to driving the ATV while his license was suspended, nor did he have proof of insurance or registration for the ATV.
Miller’s case is listed as inactive in Magisterial District Judge Gregory M. Bazylak’s office.
A date for a preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.
Copyright © 2024 EYT Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of the contents of this service without the express written consent of EYT Media Group, Inc. is expressly prohibited.
