CLEARFIELD – An Osceola Mills man will stand trial for the death of a friend in a fatal crash.
Daniel Robert Collier, 28, is charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, and aggravated assault by vehicle, all felonies, as well as misdemeanor counts of DUI and recklessly endangering another person, along with four traffic summaries in connection to a motor vehicle accident on Old Turnpike Road in Morris Township on Aug. 8.
After a preliminary hearing on Wednesday, District Judge James Glass ruled that all charges be sent on to the court of common pleas for further disposition.
State Trooper Austin Woolcock testified that he was called to the scene of the crash and when he arrived, he saw the car at the base of a tree. There was heavy smoke coming from it as several firefighters fought the blaze.
In the vicinity of the crash, he approached a male, later identified as Collier who said they were traveling from Philipsburg. Collier related that there were two passengers in the vehicle who had been smoking marijuana. When asked if he was smoking too, Collier admitted to smoking the drug the previous day. He also mentioned that a passenger gave him alcohol while in the car.
After the fire was out, Woolcock said only one passenger, Logan Hollabaugh, was found inside the vehicle. He was deceased.
Because Collier was also injured and intubated, he was transported to a landing area and flown to UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh, Woolcock testified.
Later Woolcock obtained a blood test report from the hospital. It showed that Collier had alcohol and marijuana in his system. They also found he had fentanyl in his blood, but it was noted that it was provided to him during his treatment.
During cross examination by Ryan Dobo, attorney for Collier, Woolcock stated although Collier told him there were two passengers, he was never able to identify a third person. The witnesses at the scene said they did not see any other people in or out of the car.
In his re-direct questioning, District Attorney Ryan Sayers confirmed with Woolcock that the witnesses all said Collier was driving.
The second witness was Trooper Jason Perry, an accident reconstruction specialist who investigated the crash. He concluded that the vehicle was traveling between 61 and 74 miles per hour when the accident happened. The speed limit in that area is 35 mph. He stated that road conditions “played no part in the collision.”
Clearfield County Coroner Kim Shaffer-Snyder who pronounced Hallobaugh dead at the scene, testified that the autopsy concluded that Hallobaugh’s cause of death was asphyxiation from the fire and the manner of death as an accident.
Following the hearing, Sayers argued for higher bail because Collier has a conviction on his record of escape from Indiana.
Dobo responded that Collier has appeared for every court date he was required to attend. The escape on his record was from seven years ago, Dobo noted. He asked Glass to keep Collier’s bail the same and Glass agreed.
Collier’s bail is $100,000, unsecured.
Several people who attended the hearing wore t-shirts with “Logan’s Army” on it, in support of Hollobaugh.
