Motorist in driveway crash that injured 3 at Derry birthday bash found not guilty of assault

A Greensburg man was found not guilty of serious felony offenses for the assaults of three people caused when he ran over them with his pickup two years ago in the driveway of a Derry Township apartment building.

Police said Dominic G. Bellone, now 21, was drunk when he backed over three party- goers at a friend’s birthday bash and drove away without offering help following the Jan. 4, 2020 incident.

Westmoreland County Common Pleas Judge Christopher Feliciani presided over Bellone’s nonjury trial Tuesday. The judge found him not guilty of three felony counts each of aggravated assault by a vehicle while driving drunk, accidents involving death or injury and causing a traffic crash while operating a vehicle without a driver’s license.

Bellone, who did not contest he was behind the wheel at the time of the incident, was convicted of misdemeanor drunk driving offenses along with one count each of simple assault and reckless endangerment and a handful of summary traffic offenses.

Witnesses said Bellone punched a woman in the face and placed another man in danger when he drove out of the driveway.

Feliciani said that because Bellone drove his truck on private property when the injuries occurred and not on a public road, the charges that involved assaults by use of the vehicle could not be substantiated.

“The prosecution was unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt the prerequisite that a vehicle was driven on a traffic way,” the judge said as he announced the verdict.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene where Bellone was forcibly removed from the home after an altercation with party-goers. They claimed he punched the host’s mother in the face as she attempted to lead him down steps and outside the residence before he went out to his truck.

“We tried to get him out of the truck because he was very drunk, then he put it in reverse,” testified Caitlin Queer. She said Bellone drove over her leg and thigh after an attempt to pull her away from the vehicle failed.

Witnesses said the driver’s side door of Bellone’s truck remained open as he drove away.

Deandrea Senica testified she did not remember details of the incident but that she sustained head injuries that required more than 30 staples to close.

Jacob Mayer told the judge he was trapped between Bellone’s truck and a parked vehicle as Bellone drove off.

“I heard a crack as it ran over my left arm. It shattered my upper arm,” he testified.

Police said Bellone was found about two blocks from the party site parked along the side of Derry Latrobe Road. He was initially unresponsive to commands to leave the vehicle.

He eventually complied, failed a roadside breath test and was later found to have a blood alcohol level of up to 0.227%, nearly three times the legal limit of .08% where a motorist is considered to be intoxicated.

A quarter keg of beer was found on the truck’s passenger side floor, police said.

Bellone had a previous drunk driving conviction as a juvenile and drove with a suspended driver’s license, testified state Trooper Brian Hupe.

Defense attorney Jeff Monzo argued the alcohol was not to blame for the driveway injuries caused by Bellone’s truck.

“These folks pushed him out of the house and into the truck. He didn’t want to go. Mr. Bellone could be as sober as could be and this could have happened,” Monzo argued.

Bellone, who was found with unexplained facial bruises at the time of his arrest, did not testify during the trial.

“It was a very unfortunate incident and a lot of bad judgement was used by a lot of people,” Monzo said. “We’re very grateful for the verdict.”

Bellone will remain free on bail until he is sentenced in about three months.

Assistant District Attorney Anthony Iannamorelli said he was not certain whether Bellone could face any jail time because of the lesser convictions.