PHILIPSBURG – A Lewistown woman who was the operator of a vehicle involved in a mid-February fatal accident pleaded guilty on all charges on March 31, the Philipsburg State Police reported.
Kathy Jo Fetters, 22 of Lewistown, pleaded guilty to summary vehicle code charges of no passing zones, driving vehicle at safe speed, careless driving unintentional death and restraint systems.
Tpr. Mike Berta, of the Pennsylvania State Police, met and discussed the accident with Centre County District Attorney, Michael T. Madeira on March 9. Madeira reviewed both the investigating officer’s accident report in addition to that of the crash reconstructionist and numerous photographs.
According to the initial police report from Feb. 14, Fetters was traveling westbound on United States Route 322, just east of the state police barracks in Philipsburg. Police said that Fetters attempted to pass a vehicle ahead of her in a No Passing Zone on the ice/snow covered roadway. Police said that while attempting to make the pass, she lost control of her vehicle and drove off the southern side of the roadway. Her vehicle struck a tree head-on as a result.
Police said that Fetters was extricated from the vehicle by mechanical means. She was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center for treatment of “minor injury.” A 4-year-old Lewistown boy who was a passenger in the vehicle was also transported to the medical center, where he was pronounced dead. Both she and the boy were using the appropriate safety belts at the time of the accident.