By KARA O’NEIL
Staff writer
A Franklin man faces numerous charges after police said he crashed a vehicle while under the influence in late August, injuring himself and four other people.
Tyler Howard, 23, was driving at a high rate of speed on Meadville Pike at about 5 p.m. on Aug. 20 when he lost control of his vehicle while driving around a bend, drove off the road, struck and sheared a utility pole, and then slid down the edge of the roadway striking several trees, according to a criminal complaint filed by Sugarcreek police.
A witness to the crash and Alex Sloss, 22, the front-seat passenger in the vehicle, both estimated Howard was driving at least 80 mph at the time of the crash, the complaint said.
Knox told police that when the vehicle came to rest, Howard and Sloss in the front were snoring as if they were asleep and Austin Clarke, 21, another passenger was “out” in the back, the complaint said.
A 17-year-old male also was in the back seat of the vehicle when it crashed, the complaint said.
Knox said when Howard came to, he began trying to leave the car, according to the complaint.
Howard got out of the car and was stopped from leaving the area by a parole officer, who was driving by shortly after the accident, the complaint said.
The parole officer said Howard then got back into the car and tried to start it numerous times, according to the compliant.
Howard’s blood alcohol content at the time of the crash was 0.066, according to the complaint.
A gray bag containing Howard’s medical marijuana containers, a set of brass knuckles and rolling papers with residue were recovered from the car as was a glass smoking pipe found on the driver’s side floor board, the complaint said.
Several of the passengers had described the medical marijuana containers and smoking pipe to police when they were interviewed, the complaint said.
Earlier in the day before the crash, Howard, Sloss, Clarke and the teen were riding in Howard’s vehicle and smoking Howard’s medical marijuana, the complaint said.
Howard also bought alcohol with money provided by the teen, which Howard and all his passengers drank, the complaint said.
Knox was with them during the day before she was dropped off at Myrtle Circle, but Knox said she didn’t smoke any marijuana and only drank a small amount of alcohol because she had to be at work later that day, the complaint said.
Howard and the others went back to Myrtle Circle to pick up Knox to make sure she could get to work, the complaint said.
Clarke told police that when Howard left Myrtle Circle, Howard was driving very fast and “showing off,” according to the complaint.
Howard and two passengers in his vehicle, Knox and Clarke, were taken by helicopter from the scene to UPMC Hamot, the complaint said.
The other two passengers, Sloss and the 17-year-old male, were taken to a hospital to be treated for injuries, the complaint said.
Howard has been charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, four felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle and three felony counts of manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver as well as a misdemeanor count of DUI: general impairment/incapacity of driving safely-1st offense, a misdemeanor count of corruption of minors, a misdemeanor count of make repairs/sell/etc. offensive weapon, three misdemeanor counts of diversion of medical marijuana by patient or caregiver, four misdemeanor counts of additional violation of Medical Marijuana Act (first offense), two misdemeanor counts of marijuana- small amount personal use, two misdemeanor counts of sell/furnish liquor etc. to minor, two misdemeanor counts of use/possession of drug paraphernalia and three misdemeanor counts of deliver/ intent to deliver drug paraphernalia as well as three summary driving violations.
Howard was arraigned before District Judge Patrick Lowrey on Tuesday.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled at 3 p.m. Nov. 25 in Central Court.
None of the passengers in the vehicle have been charged.
