CLEARFIELD –The afternoon session of the Bobbi Jo Morgan trial heard testimony from Trooper Emery Faith, of the Ridgway State Police.
Morgan, 22, of Patton, has been accused of killing 63-year-old Bertha Kitchen and her 3-year-old granddaughter after traveling off the roadway along state Route 36 in Mahaffey Borough on July 25.
On the day in question, Faith said he was “off-duty,” when he was notified by telephone during the noon hour to respond to the Punxsutawney Hospital.
Faith said he has served on the force for more than six years and has received field sobriety training, as it pertains to the ability to detect if a person is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
At the hospital, he met with members of the state police based in Punxsutawney who provided him with the “facts of the case.” He also spoke with and observed Morgan.
“I couldn’t believe her inability to keep her eyelids open,” he said. “It really stood out to me.”
According to Faith, Morgan told him she was not tired and had slept the night before. He said she also indicated she had neither consumed any alcohol nor suffered from any injuries, sickness or medical conditions.
“(Morgan) did indicate she was in the care of a doctor for depression,” he said.
Faith said Morgan told him she had taken 120 milligrams of Methadone at about 9:30 a.m. on the morning of the accident. He said she also told him she had taken two other drugs, Baspar and Klonopin the evening before.
“She said she hadn’t taken anything else that day, just the Methadone,” he said.
He said Morgan was cooperative and submitted to a field sobriety test in order to evaluate her motor skills and speech.
“All were poor. Her speech was slow and raspy,” Faith said.
Faith confirmed her impairments were consistent with those of a person who is under the influence of drugs.
“I came to the opinion that her ability to operate a vehicle would have been impaired by the drugs,” he said.
Faith said he has served on the force for more than six years and has received field sobriety training, as it pertains to the ability to detect if someone is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Michael Polachek, deputy coroner in Clearfield County, confirmed the death certificates for both Kitchen and her granddaughter.
He said autopsies were performed and showed both died from blunt, force trauma as a result of the accident.
Morgan has been charged with two counts each of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter.
She also faces one count each of driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, driving on roadways laned for traffic, careless driving, reckless driving and restraint systems.
Continue to read GantDaily for further coverage of the trial, as it becomes available.
