A Franklin man is facing numerous charges, including homicide by vehicle, in connection with a crash last year in Mercer County that resulted in the death of a Franklin woman who was a passenger in his vehicle.
Mercer state police identified the driver as Robert Nicholson, 34, and police said the woman who died in the June 14 crash in Worth Township was Rebecca Clark, 34.
Police said in a criminal complaint they responded to a two-vehicle crash involving a Ford Fusion and an unloaded flatbed tractor trailer on the Sandy Lake Grove City Road near its intersection with Kilgore Road.
After investigating the crash, police concluded Nicholson was driving his vehicle north on the Sandy Lake Grove City Road when the tractor trailer in front of him slowed down and signaled to make a turn onto Kilgore Road, the complaint said.
Nicholson drove his vehicle into the back of the flatbed, and the Fusion “sustained heavy front end damage,” the complaint said. The complaint notes that marijuana and a glass smoking pipe with burnt marijuana residue were found in the rear floor board area of the vehicle.
A witness said he had been driving behind Nicholson for about three miles and during that time he saw the Fusion “continuously weaving,” nearly go off the road twice and nearly hit oncoming traffic twice while traveling at speeds between 45 and 55 miles per hour and not maintaining a consistent speed, the complaint said.
Nicholson and Clark were taken to the Grove City hospital and later transferred to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, the complaint said.
Police noted multiple signs of impairment in Nicholson, and he was arrested at the Grove City hospital for DUI, the complaint said. Medical records later showed positive results for drugs in Nicholson’s system, according to the complaint.
Clark died June 20 from injuries sustained in the crash, Venango County Coroner Christina Rugh said.
Nicolson has been charged with felony counts of homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, misdemeanor counts of DUI and recklessly endangering another person and nine summary traffic violations.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled Feb. 8 in Mercer County.
