COVINGTON TOWNSHIP – An area woman is facing felony homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter charges in relation to a fatal crash that killed a 5-year-old Altoona boy on Aug. 18 in Covington Township, Clearfield County.
Jayde Renate Huber, 32, of Altoona is also charged by Trooper Emerson H. Miller of the Clearfield-based state police with felony aggravated assault by vehicle and accidents involving death or injury while not licensed and four summaries.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, the crash occurred at 10:45 p.m. in the area of 6418 Rolling Stone Rd. At the scene, Miller briefly interviewed the driver, Huber, of the black Ford Escape, as well as learned her license was suspended and that the boy had died.
The boy succumbed to injuries suffered in the crash while being flown by medical helicopter for treatment, Miller said. He was reportedly in a booster seat behind the driver’s seat at the time of the crash.
At 11:39 p.m., the Pennsylvania State Police crash reconstruction unit arrived, and determined Huber was driving too fast to safely negotiate a right-hand curve. This caused her vehicle to leave the left side of the roadway and crash into a utility pole.
Five seconds before the crash, she was reportedly driving between 77 and 84 miles per hour. In this area, the speed limit is 55 mph, but there’s a 35-mph cautionary sign just before the curve.
Huber and two 10-year-old girls, both of Altoona, suffered minor injuries in the crash, and were transported to the Clearfield Penn Highlands Hospital for treatment, according to a previous police report.
Huber is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 9 a.m. Dec. 30 during centralized court.
