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A Shippensburg, Pennsylvania man faces felony homicide charges after a deadly crash during a test drive killed an elderly couple in Franklin County last year.
Mark Keyser, 49, was charged Wednesday (March 4) with two felony counts of homicide by vehicle, along with six summary traffic offenses, according to PennLive. The charges stem from a three-vehicle crash that occurred Monday (April 28) of last year, near the intersection of Olde Scotland Road and Pineville Road in Southampton Township.
The victims, Allen Pensinger and Alberta Pensinger, both 82, were pronounced dead at the scene. Autopsies confirmed that both died from blunt force injuries suffered in the wreck.
Pennsylvania State Police say Keyser was test-driving a 2012 Ford Edge — a vehicle he had limited experience with — when the crash happened just before 10 a.m. A witness reported seeing him speeding and swerving before he slammed into the rear of the couple's 1999 Mercury Coupe. Investigators determined Keyser was traveling 68 mph in a posted 55 mph zone.
According to ABC27, when troopers questioned Keyser, he admitted he was distracted — saying he had been "manipulating the vehicle's radio" at the time of the crash. The impact sent the Pensingers' Mercury Coupe careening into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer.
The Mercury Coupe sustained severe front and rear damage, with deployed airbags and extensive interior damage. The Ford Edge also suffered heavy front-end damage and deployed airbags. The tractor-trailer came to rest in a field after sustaining significant front-end damage.
CBS21 reports that the tractor-trailer's driver provided dash camera footage of the crash to investigators, which helped build the case against Keyser.
The charging trooper wrote in the criminal complaint: "I believe Mark Keyser operated a motor vehicle in a careless and unlawful manner, including speeding, distracted driving, which directly caused the fatal collision and resulted in the deaths of Allen Pensinger and Alberta Pensinger."
Court records show Keyser has yet to be arraigned and is awaiting a preliminary hearing.