An East Huntingdon man will serve five years on probation for causing a fatal three-vehicle crash two years ago that killed a Washington Township firefighter.
Andrew Davidovich Jr., 21, pleaded guilty Monday to charges of involuntary manslaughter and other related offenses for the June 9, 2017, crash on Route 66 in Washington Township.
Matthew R. Gibbons, 29, a first lieutenant with the Washington Township Fire Company and a former member of Apollo Hose Company No. 2, died from injuries he sustained in the crash.
Police said Davidovich was speeding when his pickup crossed into oncoming traffic, sideswiped a Toyota Camry then crashed into Gibbons’ Jeep as he pulled over to the side of the road in an attempt to avoid the collision. According to court records, Davidovich’s vehicle pushed the Jeep about 74 feet after the impact.
Davidovich told police he did not remember details of the crash.
Investigators said his truck was traveling about 63 mph before the crash. The road is posted with a 55 mph speed limit, according to court records.
Gibbons’ girlfriend and her two children, ages 7 and 4, who were passengers in his vehicle, also were injured.
In a guilty plea petition filed Monday, Davidovich wrote that he agreed to the plea bargain “because I want to get this behind me.”
In addition to the manslaughter count, Davidovich pleaded guilty to four counts of reckless endangerment and two summary traffic citations for reckless driving and failure to keep his vehicle on the right side of the road.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger sentenced Davidovich to serve five years of intensive probation, including one year of house arrest.
