Hempfield woman pleads guilty for causing Route 30 crash last year in North Huntingdon
A Hempfield woman pleaded guilty Monday to charges that she was under the influence of drugs when she caused a vehicle crash last year in North Huntingdon that left a woman seriously injured.
Melinda Gail Fesh, 56, was charged following the July 28, 2022, head-on crash on Route 30, near Billott Avenue, in which the driver of another vehicle was hospitalized as a result of multiple injuries suffered in the mid-afternoon incident.
Fesh, according to police, had benzodiazepine, fentanyl and oxycodone in her system at the time of the crash.
She pleaded guilty to one felony count of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence of a controlled substance and misdemeanor counts of driving while under the influence, simple assault and reckless endangerment.
According to court records, witnesses told police Fesh was traveling eastbound and swerved into the westbound lanes. The other driver told police she had numerous stitches to close a chin wound and had severe swelling and bruising on her lower abdomen and right hip.
Police said Fesh was also involved in another crash earlier that day on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. No criminal charges were filed related that that incident.
Fesh will remain free on an unsecured $5,000 bond until she is sentenced.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
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