ROSE TWP., Pa. (EYT) – Additional details were released in a case against a woman who was charged last Thursday regarding an accident that killed a motorcyclist on State Route 36 in Jefferson County in July of 2021.
According to court documents, the following charges were filed against 65-year-old Carrie Lorreta Toy, of Kittanning, in Gregory M. Bazylak’s office on Thursday, March 10:
– Involuntary Manslaughter, Misdemeanor 1
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
– Vehicle Turning Left, Summary
– Careless Driving – Unintentional Death, Summary
– Reckless Driving, Summary
The charges stem from a fatal accident that occurred on July 5, 2021, on State Route 36 involving a 2009 GM Sierra pickup operated by Carrie Toy and a 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, operated by 49-year-old Travis L. Haenel, of Punxsutawney.
According to a criminal complaint, a Punxsutawney-based State Police Trooper was dispatched around 12:15 p.m. on July 5, 2021, to a crash at 804 Route 36, in Rose Township, Jefferson County.
Upon arrival, the trooper saw Unit 1 (the 2009 GM Sierra pickup) and Unit 2 (the 2007 Harley-Davidson motorcycle) at their final resting positions. EMS personnel were treating the occupants of the Harley-Davidson motorcycle, the complaint states.
The trooper interviewed Carrie Toy at the scene.
Toy stated that she was driving south on State Route 36. She explained that she was taking her sister and nieces to the Tasty Freeze for ice cream. She initiated her left turn signal and was looking for a parking spot to turn into. Toy said she slowed her vehicle to five to 10 miles per hour and turned into the northbound lane of Route 36. She indicated that she did not see the motorcycle until after the point of initial impact, according to the complaint.
There were multiple witnesses and video from two video surveillance cameras that depicted the crash, the complaint notes.
The motorcyclist, 49-year-old Travis Haenel, of Punxsutawney, died at the scene as a result of his injuries, according to the complaint.
He was pronounced dead at the scene by Jefferson County Coroner Brenda Shumaker.
A passenger of the motorcycle, 47-year-old Penny L. Conser, lost her left leg as a result of this crash, the complaint states.
She was transported to Altoona General Hospital by LifeFlight.
Haenel and Conser were not using helmets.
Toy was not injured. It is unknown if the passengers in her vehicle were injured.
A preliminary hearing for Toy is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. on April 14 with Judge Bazylak’s presiding.