Two charged with racing on Mt. Pleasant road
Mount Pleasant Township police have charged two men who were reportedly racing each other last month on roads around the Fort Cherry School campus.
Frederick William Markovitz, 34, of 24 Walnut St., Ellsworth, and Brandon Lavarr Raineri, 38, of 601 Marple Ave., Canonsburg, are charged with fleeing or attempting to elude police, racing on highways, careless driving, reckless driving and traffic violations. Markovitz is also charged with reckless endangerment and Raineri with driving under the influence of alcohol.
Officer Amanda Brewer was driving on Top Street near Noblestown Road in the early morning hours of Oct. 28 when she saw two vehicles traveling too close together. As she turned on to Fort Cherry Road, she lost sight of them.
Officer Ron Catrain was going north on Fort Cherry when two vehicles approached his cruiser at high rates of speed, with one of them almost hitting him. He turned around the cruiser and followed them, determining the vehicles had been racing.
The vehicles continued onto Main Street (Route 50) before the lead vehicle, driven by Markovitz, stopped. Catrain stayed with him while Brewer went after the other driver, later identified as Raineri, stopping him on Washington Avenue at Main.
Raineri told Brewer his friend had passed him on Fort Cherry Road, so he had to pass him back. Raineri’s blood alcohol level was also over the 0.08 limit presumed for intoxication.
The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Traci McDonald. The two face a Jan. 4 preliminary hearing before McDonald.