Jury selection concludes in Scottdale man's assault trial in connection with May 2016 accident
Jury selection ended Monday for the trial of a Scottdale man accused of injuring a young family of four three years ago in a Mother’s Day car wreck near Youngwood.
Matthew Murphy, 27, is charged with 13 counts, including three felony offenses of aggravated assault by vehicle, in connection with the May 8, 2016, crash along Route 119 in Hempfield. Police said Murphy’s pickup slammed into the back of Vicky and William Schuler’s vehicle as they drove to church with their two young children, Gavin, 2 and Austin, 1.
Police said that, just before the crash, Murphy’s truck was traveling between 71 and 78 mph on the section of road that carries a 35-mph speed limit. The Schuler car was propelled into a concrete barrier, rolled over multiple times and came to rest on a grass lot on East Third Street, according to court records.
Witnesses said Murphy’s truck continued into the parking lot of a nearby shopping plaza and side-swiped a parked vehicle before it came to rest.
All four members of the Schuler family were seriously injured.
Testimony in the case before Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Tim Krieger will begin Tuesday morning after lawyers make opening statements.
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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