A Kiski Township man who was high on heroin when he crashed the car he was driving and killed his friend in 2022 will serve at least two years in state prison.
Matthew Carlson, 36, was sentenced Tuesday in Allegheny County to 27 to 54 months after pleading guilty in April to homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence and reckless driving.
According to a criminal complaint, Kendra Fennell, 38, of Worthington, Armstrong County, was the front passenger in a Ford Fiesta being driven by Carlson the evening of Dec. 17, 2022.
Police said Carlson was driving on the McKees Rocks Bridge when he crossed the center line and drove directly into a Got Junk truck with a roll-off dumpster on the back.
Video footage from the truck showed that Carlson never tried to avoid the collision.
The Fiesta had severe damage; its front fender and bumper were pushed back nearly to the firewall.
A rear-seat passenger suffered a broken elbow and collarbone and a lacerated spleen.
Police said Carlson admitted to having snorted heroin that afternoon. He also had cocaine and other drugs in his system, the complaint said.
Carlson was on the run for several days after Pittsburgh police obtained an arrest warrant for him in August. Carlson was found hiding in the basement of a Vandergrift winery.
Fennell’s family asked Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer to sentence Carlson to the maximum penalty, but Beemer opted to following sentencing guidelines.
“There’s nothing better than time to make you think and reflect what happened,” said Fennell’s father, David McIntyre. “I’m sure he has some remorse, but that’s not going to bring Kendra back.”
McIntyre urged the court to require Carlson to seek drug treatment.
Carlson’s attorney told the judge that since her client’s arrest, he has enrolled in the jail’s drug treatment program and takes suboxone.
“He is determined to make sure he’s not part of anything like this again,” attorney Sarah McGuire said.
Carlson apologized for his actions that day.
“This wasn’t a random person,” Carlson told the court through sobs. “This wasn’t an act of anger. Everybody in the car was so messed up, they couldn’t drive, so I chose to drive.”
To Fennell’s family, he said, “None of you know me. I live with it every day.”
As part of Tuesday’s hearing, Carlson also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance after he obtained buprenorphine in the Allegheny County Jail.
Carlson said he was taking responsibility for his actions, which were caused by addiction.
“I’m a good person. Addiction has taken a hold of me at the worst times of my life.”
The judge told Carlson that while Fennell’s death was not intentional, it was foreseeable.
“The reality is Mr. Carlson’s addiction, his inability to exercise proper judgment, led directly to Kendra’s death,” Beemer said.
