Ohio man pleads guilty in fatal Route 22 crash

An Ohio man pleaded guilty Monday to a reduced charge for causing a fatal 2023 crash on Route 22 in Salem that killed his 16-year-old passenger.

Ricardo Pierre Hardy Jr., 24, was ordered to serve five years of probation, including 18 months of house arrest, after Westmoreland County prosecutors agreed to dismiss one felony charge of vehicular homicide.

Hardy pleaded guilty to an amended misdemeanor charge of involuntary manslaughter, three counts of reckless endangerment and seven traffic offenses in connection to the July 25, 2023, crash near the Route 819 intersection.

Police said Hardy’s westbound Volkswagen SUV slammed into the rear of a tractor trailer, causing a three-vehicle collision in which two motorists and Hardy’s front-seat passenger — 16-year-old Jacob Holman — were injured. According to court records, Holman suffered blunt-force injuries in the crash, leading to his death.

“My client fell asleep,” defense attorney Matthew Makoski said.

Makoski said Hardy and Holman were friends who connected through online gaming. Hardy drove out to the Reading area to pick up Holman and drive them to a family reunion in Michigan. Makoski said Hardy was driving for more than 10 hours and fell asleep at the wheel.

Police said Hardy’s vehicle was traveling more than 80 mph on a rain-covered road when he attempted to pass traffic and slammed into the back of a tri-axle truck, spun and overturned.

Monday’s plea bargain will enable Hardy to retain his employment as a grocery store manager in Ohio, Makoski said.

Jacob Holman’s father, testifying by phone from his eastern Pennsylvania home, told the judge he consented to the plea deal.

“No one is going to bring him back and now life goes on. I don’t think this deal is too kind or too bad. He (Hardy) has to deal with his challenges the best he can, like I will,” Jerome Holman said. “Love conquers a multitude of fault.”