Ohio truck driver sentenced to prison time for fatal crash on I-70 in South Huntingdon

WESTMORELAND COUNTY, Pa. — An Ohio truck driver will serve up to two years in prison for causing a fatal crash on Interstate 70 in 2020 that left a New Stanton man dead.

According to our partners at TribLIVE.com, Charles Walker, 59, of Columbus, Ohio pleaded guilty in December.

Walker was charged with vehicular homicide, aggravated assault by a vehicle and other traffic related offenses in connection with the crash.

The crash took place on Oct. 21, 2020 and left 27-year-old Dillon Walton dead. Two people from New York were severely injured.

Police said Walker was driving a tractor-trailer when it ran into the back of Walton’s vehicle that was sitting in traffic on the Matthew Smelser Memorial Bridge.

Walton was on his way home from attending a coworker’s funeral at the time of the collision. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Defense attorney Ernest H. Sharif said Walker fell asleep as he was driving the truck.

“I’d like to apologize to the family for the unfortunate incident that happened. It was nothing I intended to do and it was just a bad accident,” Walker said.

A judge ordered Walker to serve one to two years in prison and an additional four years on probation.

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