WELLSBORO — A suspended state trooper charged with vehicular homicide is scheduled to testify Friday in his own behalf as his trial in Tioga County nears its end.
The accident occurred about 10:45 p.m. as he was westbound headed to Mansfield in his private vehicle to begin his 11 p.m. shift.The impact caused Woodward’s car to catch fire and attempts by the injured Brown to free her were unsuccessful.During one of Brown’s interviews, which was played for the jurors, he said he heard her say “Get me out.”
Baker described Dewalt as being in a distraught state and said he allowed him to leave the scene without being formally interviewed. He later was interviewed by the lead investigator, now retired Cpl. Jeffrey Vilello. His conclusions were the same as those of Cpl. Gary Beadle, the state police accident reconstructionist who testified earlier in the trial.
Fires from frontal crashes are rare, he said, citing National Transportation Safety Administration data that they occur only 2 or 3 percent of the time.