Altoona man charged with drunken driving, vehicular homicide after crash that kills student

ALTOONA, Pa. — A 19-year-old Altoona man has been charged with vehicular homicide and driving under the influence after a weekend crash that killed an Altoona Area High School student, police said.

Jared Detwiler was driving a Dodge Ram truck with the 17-year-old victim and another teen early Sunday morning, according to charging documents.

Police say Detwiler was under the influence of alcohol when he drove west on the 900 block of the 10th Ave Expressway just after 4 a.m. Green Ave parking lot. Towers.

The victim, who was sitting in the front passenger seat, was thrown from the vehicle and died, police said. According to the complaint, Detwiler was also thrown from the vehicle and landed in the grass about a car length away.

The other teen, who was in the backseat of the truck, was able to climb out of the vehicle without injury, according to police.

Officers report that Detwiler, who allegedly consented to a blood draw at UPMC Altoona, had a BAC of .218, which is above the legal limit.

According to the criminal complaint, the first officer on the scene approached Detwiler, who was allegedly caught on the officer’s body camera with slurred speech and stated that “someone cut me off.”

Detwiler told officers he swerved to avoid another vehicle, the complaint said. However, officers report that they have obtained security footage from Green Ave. Towers and that no vehicle waved in front of the suspect.

Detwiler was transported to UPMC Altoona. Officers report he had swelling in his right eye, a broken right foot and a fractured vertebra. He was given a blood sample to test for alcohol less than an hour after the crash, according to charging documents.

A 16-year-old witness, who told officers she knew Detwiler from previous parties at a house known as “SIGMA,” reported that she handed him the keys to the truck that evening, according to the criminal complaint. Detwiler and the two victims were leaving another house party before the accident occurred.

Detwiler has been charged with vehicular homicide, vehicular homicide while intoxicated, and aggravated vehicular assault while intoxicated – all second-degree felonies. He has also been charged with two counts of driving under the influence and recklessly endangering another person, as well as the purchase of alcoholic beverages through minor traffic and speeding violations. A preliminary hearing has not yet been scheduled.