Hanover Township man headed to trial for fatal DUI crash
A Hanover Township man will head to trial for a crash that killed his wife last year.
Stewart A. Wilson, 47, appeared before District Judge Gary Havelka Thursday morning and waived his right to a preliminary hearing on multiple charges, including a felony of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence.
According to charging documents, the accident occurred shortly before 9 p.m. April 17, 2022, while Wilson was driving west on Steubenville Pike in Hanover Township.
State police said Wilson swerved to avoid hitting a car that was turning into a driveway. Wilson sideswiped the other vehicle and then overcorrected to return to his lane and drove into a guardrail, court records state.
Wilson and Denise Pierce-Wilson, his wife, were ejected from the vehicle. Pierce-Wilson, 52, died from her injuries that night at Weirton (W.Va.) Medical Center. Wilson was flown by helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital.
According to police, Wilson agreed to a blood draw, and the results showed he had a BAC of .088%. The legal limit is .08% in Pennsylvania. Police allege that Wilson was driving about 65 mph at the time of the accident.
Wilson also waived misdemeanors of involuntary manslaughter and driving under the influence, as well as multiple summary traffic offenses.
He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Washington County Courthouse at 9 a.m. Aug. 24. He is free on $20,000 unsecured bond.