Chartiers man held for court for allegedly providing beer to teen driver
The stepfather of a Chartiers Township woman critically injured in a Christmas Day crash was ordered held for court Wednesday for allegedly furnishing beer to the teenage driver who was behind the wheel of the vehicle that wrecked.
Melvin Guy Holmes Jr., 39, of 255 Parker St., Chartiers, was ordered to stand trial on charges of furnishing alcohol to a minor and corruption of minors by District Judge David Mark following a preliminary hearing. His wife, Amy M. Holmes, 39, the mother of 21-year-old Corey Mitchell, who was injured in the crash, waived her case to court on the same charges earlier this month.
Mitchell was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Holden Alexander of Houston when it crashed on Route 519 (Western Avenue) near the ATI Allegheny Ludlum plant. The pickup truck hit a utility pole near the plant entrance and landed on its roof.
Mitchell was ejected from the vehicle, testified Officer Ashley Price, who filed the charges. Price said Alexander, who was 17 at the time of the crash, had a blood alcohol level of 0.111 percent. That is more than five times the 0.02 limit presumed for intoxication in drivers under the age of 21.
He was charged in a juvenile allegation in connection with the crash.
Mitchell has not recovered from her injuries.
Mitchell and Alexander reportedly were at a Christmas party at the Holmeses’ former home on McClane Farm Road, also in Chartiers. Price said a witness told a township police detective the Holmeses provided alcohol that evening. She said there also was a photograph on Facebook of Alexander with a can of beer in front of him. Cans of Yuengling also were found in the wrecked truck, Price added.
Defense attorney Adam Bishop told Mark the case was “terribly weak,” arguing his client denied giving alcohol to Alexander. Washington County Assistant District Attorney Rachel Wheeler argued the teen was seen in a photo with the beer and it was the same cans of beer found in the truck.
Melvin Holmes remains free on unsecured bond. He is scheduled to be formally arraigned on the charges Sept. 27.