Charges Held for Court Against Man Accused in Cranberry Vehicular Homicide

| September 14, 2017

GavelOIL CITY, Pa. (EYT) – A Crawford County man accused in the vehicular death of an Oil City man last year was held for court Wednesday.

Michael C. Brown, 57, of Guys Mills, is charged with one felony count of Homicide by Vehicle and two misdemeanors – Involuntary Manslaughter and Reckless Endangerment.

He’s also facing two summary traffic offenses for failing to erect proper traffic signage while working.

According to a criminal complaint filed by Meadville-based State Police Trooper Malek, the accident occurred around 2:55 p.m. on October 4, 2016, when Brown was traveling eastbound on Bredinsburg Road in Cranberry Township in a John Deere skid-steer that was clearing the roadway with a rotating broom.

The criminal complaint stated that Brown was sweeping mud deposited on the roadway by work trucks exiting and entering a “well road.”

The sweeping created a “hazardous dust cloud condition,” according to the criminal complaint.

Police said William Lee Moon, Jr., 55, of Oil City, was also traveling eastbound on a 2006 Harley Davidson motorcycle and encountered the dust cloud.

Moon’s motorcycle struck the rear of the skid-steer causing Moon to be thrown from the bike.

According to the criminal complaint, Moon’s head struck a cross bar mounted to the rear of the machine.

Moon was transported to UPMC Northwest where he was pronounced deceased as a result of his injuries suffered during the crash.

“Brown failed to erect work zone safety signs to warn motorists entering the area of work and maintenance on the roadway resulting in the fatal crash that occurred,” said Trooper Malek in the criminal complaint.

The charges against Brown were held for court yesterday by Magisterial District Judge Patrick E. Lowrey.

The case has been transferred to the Venango County Court of Common Pleas.


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