Schuylkill County's top law enforcement official has yet to decide if charges will be filed in connection with a Palm Sunday crash that claimed the lives of two Minersville girls.
District Attorney Karen Byrnes-Noon said Friday that her office is reviewing the results of the investigation conducted by state police at Schuylkill Haven into the March 24 crash on Route 61 in West Brunswick Township that claimed the lives of Carianna Kroh, 6, and Catrina Williams, 3, both of the 300 block of Sunbury Street.
The children were in a 1996 Plymouth driven by their mother, Victoria Place, 27, who left the parking lot of Faith Worship Center of Schuylkill County on Route 61 about 11:35 a.m. and was struck broadside by a southbound 2005 Honda Accord driven by a 17-year-old Schuylkill Haven boy, police said.
Byrnes-Noon said she received the report of accident reconstruction expert Trooper John Minalda and lead investigator Trooper William Luckenbill and that the information is currently being reviewed.
The district attorney said the investigation is considered ongoing until all of the facts surrounding the case are reviewed.
State police Sgt. Christopher Lengle, commander of the Schuylkill Haven station, said last week that police recently completed their investigation.
"We will now meet with the district attorney to determine the appropriate charges, if any, that should be filed," Lengle said.
Regarding the investigation, Lengle said, "We had complete cooperation of everyone involved, including the witnesses."
He said that, following state police policy, the name of the teenage driver will not be released. The only way that name would be made public is if the teen would be charged as an adult, Lengle said.
Kroh died hours after the crash at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, while Williams died the following day at the same hospital. According to the Lehigh County coroner's office, both children died of traumatic injuries suffered in the crash.
Victoria Place was also taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment of serious injuries from which she is now recovering.
Following the crash, the teenage driver was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street for treatment of nonlife-threatening injuries.
Luckenbill said the crash occurred as Place was pulling out from the church parking lot just south of South Liberty Street to turn left to travel north on Route 61, the same time the Schuylkill Haven teenager was driving south in the left lane.
Place had pulled onto the highway and was in the right southbound lane when she hesitated and stopped, Luckenbill said, adding that the teen then braked and swerved to the right, where the front of his car struck the driver's side door of Place's car.
After impact, Luckenbill said both vehicles traveled about 80 feet south and came to a stop along the shoulder of the road facing east.