SELINSGROVE — Homicide by vehicle and other felony charges were filed Monday against a 21-year-old Sunbury woman who allegedly admitted to inhaling dust remover prior to a Jan. 17 crash on Routes 11-15 that killed her friend.
Four aerosol cans of dust remover were found inside the 1995 Buick Regal that Jessica M. Curry, of 157 S. Awl St., Sunbury, was driving when she crossed three lanes and drove head-on into a 998 Ford Explorer driven by Cynthia Scheib, 56, of Herndon, on Routes 11-15 in Shamokin Dam at about 11:30 p.m. Jan. 17, borough police said in a criminal complaint.
Killed in the crash was Jason J. Noll, 20, of South Third Street, Sunbury, a passenger in Curry’s car.
Moments after the fatal accident, Curry told paramedic Bernie Brida that during the evening she “did something stupid by huffing or inhaling the dust remover,” the complaint said.
As Shamokin Dam police officer Bradley Gaugler searched for drivers’ information in Curry’s vehicle, he said, one 12-ounce can of dust remover was found in her purse, another 12-ounce can was on the floor behind the driver’s seat and two, 10-ounce aerosol cans were on the front passenger side floor.
Toxicology tests later confirmed Curry was under the influence of cocaine the night of the accident, police said.
Two people who witnessed the accident told state police troopers from Selinsgrove that they saw Curry’s vehicle cross over into the path of Scheib’s vehicle.
Scheib, who suffered a broken femur and ankle, told police that Curry’s vehicle came across the highway and crashed into her.
Brida informed police that Curry told him about inhaling the dust remover while he treated her at the scene in an ambulance as they awaited the arrival of the LifeFlight helicopter, the complaint said.
Noll was pronounced dead at the accident site. An autopsy conducted at Lehigh Valley Medical Center later determined his death was due to blunt force trauma to the chest and head.
Later, at Geisinger Medical Center where she was treated for unidentified injuries, Curry told police she couldn’t recall anything about the accident.
On Jan. 23, Shamokin Dam police Chief Robert Lockuff served a warrant at the Danville hospital to search the blood-alcohol and toxicology records of Curry. The results of those tests confirmed the night of the accident she was under the influence of a controlled substance, including cocaine, police said.
Curry was arraigned Monday morning before District Judge Edward Mihalik Jr. on felony homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence; homicide by vehicle; aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence; three counts of misdemeanor driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance and illegal use of solvents.
She was released on $50,000 unsecured bail to appear at a Feb. 19 preliminary hearing.
n E-mail comments to mmoore@dailyitem.com
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