Hearing set in North Huntingdon high-speed crash

A hearing for prosecutors to lay out some of their evidence is being scheduled in the case against a North Huntingdon man accused of driving 90 mph last year before colliding with another vehicle, seriously injuring its driver.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said Friday he expects testimony to take at least two hours and is seeking medical records for the injured driver.

Defense attorney Charles Porter, who is representing Nolan P. Mullen, 22, requested the hearing after Judge Scott Mears last month rejected a plea agreement reached with prosecutors.

The deal would have allowed Mullen to be placed on house arrest with electronic monitoring in exchange for a guilty plea to lesser charges.

He is accused in the July 7 crash on Clay Pike Road in North Huntingdon that seriously hurt Kathleen Morcheid, who was turning left onto the street from Brokers Lane. She and her son were rushed to a hospital, police said.

Morcheid has opposed the plea deal.

Mears in February delayed a decision on the proposed agreement after hearing from Morcheid and Nicholas Carrozza, the father of their son.

Iannamorelli, the assistant DA, told Judge Mears on Friday that Morcheid and Carrozza would like to see Mullen plead guilty to a felony and get jail time.

“That would basically be the max,” Iannamorelli said.

The judge suggested that if Mullen wants to enter a general plea, a pre-sentence investigation would help guide him at the time of sentencing.

“I’m not here to just rubber stamp anything,” Mears said. “It’s an independent evaluation that I would perform.”

Mullen is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle, reckless endangerment and four summary offenses. In January, he waived a preliminary hearing on the charges and the case was scheduled for a plea in February.