An Associated Press article published in The Pittsburgh CW reported that the 14-year-old victim of a recent DUI collision near Edinboro last weekend, Joshua Gibson, was the driver's son. The driver, Christa Logue, was charged with vehicular homicide while under the influence of alcohol and possibly other drugs.
Pennsylvania state police said they discovered an empty bottle of vodka, two unopened bottles of beer and some prescription pills in her van after the accident. The 39-year-old mother didn't have a Pennsylvania DUI lawyer as of Aug. 6, according to court records cited by reporters.
The Westmoreland County woman said she was driving her son home from a baseball game when her van crashed on Interstate 79 near Edinboro at about 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, August 1, as reported by ABC's Pittsburgh affiliate.
Her fiancé, Jimmy Stone, said he learned about the tragic news from police:
"I pulled here in my driveway at probably 5 o'clock yesterday, and there was two police officers here, and they asked me if Christa lived here, and they told me what had happened."
Police reports indicated that her van traveled off the left side of the road but when she overcompensated to regain control, the van entered the median and hit an embankment. The van reportedly rolled, throwing Joshua Gibson from the vehicle.
While the boy died at the scene, Christa Logue was treated for minor injuries.
Although police said her blood-alcohol concentration was about twice the legal limit, she claims she did not drink at all that day but had a few drinks the night before. But regardless of her guilt or innocence with respect to the DUI charges, Jimmy Stone said the family is receiving tremendous support from the community:
"It's just unbelievable that people are calling in and offering condolences and anything they could do to help."
Christa Logue is scheduled to appear in court for a preliminary hearing tomorrow.
Related Resources:
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Involuntary Manslaughter (LawBrain)
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Consult with a Philadelphia DUI Lawyer (FindLaw)
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More Women Driving Drunk as Crackdown Begins (FindLaw's Blotter Blog)
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