BEAVER, Pa. — Gasps echoed through a Beaver County courtroom as surveillance video showed a deadly June crash that claimed two lives and seriously injured another.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> 2 killed in Beaver Falls crash; man charged with homicide, DUI
The video, played during a preliminary hearing on Thursday, captured a Dodge Ram pickup truck flying through an intersection before crashing into a red sedan.
The defendant, Israel Tun Cooch, kept his head down as an interpreter translated the proceedings into Spanish.
Troopers testified that the truck’s black box showed it was traveling at 84 mph up until 1.6 seconds before impact. Surveillance footage showed the traffic light was red when the truck entered the intersection and T-boned the sedan, killing Robert Lance Jr. and Sheylee Young Davis.
“It’s an extremely devastating tragedy,” said Beaver County District Attorney Nate Bible. “Two young individuals lost their lives, and a third is severely injured, all over an incident that should have never taken place.”
Cooch is facing charges including third-degree murder, DUI, and homicide by vehicle. Prosecutors allege his blood alcohol level is more than twice the legal limit. Officers also testified they found both open and empty beer bottles inside the truck.
In addition, investigators discovered Cooch did not have a Pennsylvania driver’s license and was in the U.S. without legal immigration status. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has since filed a detainer.
“Our fear is if he’s immediately deported, then justice will not be served,” Bible said. “We have two deceased victims and a third who was seriously injured. We feel justice is best served in a U.S. prison.”
Defense attorney Ron Rojas said Cooch understands the gravity of the situation.
“It’s patently obvious what happened here; it was an accident. There were two deaths, serious injuries, and it impacts everyone involved,” Rojas said.
The defense argued that the prosecution failed to prove the malice required for a third-degree murder charge, citing precedent from previous cases. However, the judge upheld all charges. Rojas said the defense plans to revisit the argument in the next stage of the legal process.
The case will move forward to trial.
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