A Boalsburg man was arrested Friday on charges including homicide by vehicle for the September crash on Interstate 99 that killed a pregnant Bellefonte woman and her unborn son.
State police at Rockview wrote in a criminal complaint that Christopher J. Saunders, 32, was driving recklessly at a high rate of speed when he struck a Nissan Rogue driven by 29-year-old Katharyn Derhammer at about 6 p.m. on Sept. 6 near the Shiloh Road overpass in Benner Township.
Derhammer had slowed for a line of stopped traffic for an unrelated crash when she was hit from behind by Saunders’ GMC Yukon, police wrote. The impact caused her car to strike a pickup truck in front of her, then continue sliding before hitting another vehicle, according to the complaint.
Derhammer, who was 33 weeks pregnant, was flown to Geisinger Medical Center in Danville. Her child, Koleton William, died that night. Derhammer succumbed to her injuries on Sept. 9, according to her obituary.
Saunders, who was driving with a suspended license, told police that Derhammer first crashed into the pickup truck and that her Nissan “bounced back” into his vehicle, according to the complaint.
An investigation of the scene and data from the vehicles, however, showed Saunders caused the crash, police wrote.
Derhammer had steadily slowed as she approached the stopped traffic and Saunders was traveling at 78 mph when he struck her, according to the complaint. There were no adverse conditions at the time and Saunders’ visibility to the crash site would have been at least 1,000 feet, police wrote.
An analysis of vehicle data and the crash concluded that Saunders did not brake or attempt any evasive maneuvers before impact, according to the complaint. He was not under the influence of drugs or alcohol and there were no passengers in the vehicle.
Evidence suggested that “Saunders was distracted such that he did not see the slowed/stopped vehicles until it was too late to avoid a collision given his high rate of speed,” police wrote, noting that he had a cellphone with him at the time.
In addition to a felony count of homicide by vehicle, Saunders is charged with a felony count of accidents involving death while not licensed, one misdemeanor count of involuntary manslaughter and eight summary traffic offenses, including careless driving and reckless driving. It was also the sixth time he has been cited for driving with a suspended license, and he was not insured, according to the complaint.
Saunders was arraigned on Friday night by District Judge Don Hahn, who set bail at $240,000.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 26.
