A 61-year-old man was charged involuntary manslaughter, according to the Dauphin County District Attorney. Charges were officially filed Thursday, Sept. 1.
Following a preliminary hearing, Magisterial District Judge Dominic A. Pelino found that the charges should proceed to trial for the Feb. 2, 2016 crash in Derry Township that killed two people. The district attorney’s office reports that Officer Kenneth Shank testified that Joseph Zucco, 61, of Maine, was operating a tractor trailer when he went though a red light at Hersheypark Drive and Mae Streets going an estimated 18-to-23 miles over the posted speed limit.
Zucco then allegedly struck a vehicle driven by 49-year-old Julie Watson. Watson died at the scene of the crash, and her father, George Storer, 83, a passenger in the car, died a short time later at Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
The Commonwealth, represented by Chief Deputy District Attorney Jennifer W. Gettle argued that excessive speed, the red light violation, and the fact that the truck driver was color-blind — not using even more caution in a busy intersection — created a deadly combination meeting the elements of the crimes of involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle.
Zucco was also charged with disregarding traffic control devices, and driving at an unsafe speed. The defendant is next scheduled for formal arraignment on Oct. 29.
