SHARE

Technicality Could Lead To Lighter Sentence For Trucker Guilty In 22-Year-Old NJ Man's Death

The Pennsylvania State Supreme Court ruled that a lower court's sentencing of a trucker convicted of killing three people including one from New Jersey was too harsh.

Ethan Von Bochoven

Ethan Von Bochoven

Photo Credit: Facebook- Ethan Von Bochoven

The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that Jack Edward Satterfield III's sentence of 3 consecutive 6-year prison terms on each of those counts-- one jail term for each of the people killed in the crash-- is illegal as you can only leave the scene of a crime one time.

Satterfield, 32, of Mississippi, is currently serving a 28 ½ to 63 year long prison sentence for a triple fatal crash at Interstate 83 near Union Deposit on Oct. 12, 2018.

His victims were Zachary Lybrand, 24, and his daughter Elliana, 16-months-old, of Harrisburg and Ethan Von Bochoven, 22, of Pompton Plains, New Jersey and a senior at Messiah University.

Satterfield was charged with the following:

  • F Accidents Involving Death Or Personal Injury (3 Counts)
  • F Accident Involving Death/Person Injury-Not Properly Licensed (3 Counts)
  • F2 Homicide By Vehicle While Driving Under The Influence (3 Counts)
  • F3 Homicide By Vehicle (3 Counts)
  • M DUI: General Impairment/Including of Driving Safely - 1st Offense

In an opinion by Justice Christine Donohue the Supreme Court found he was "over-sentenced by county Judge Deborah E. Curcillo on three counts of leaving the scene of an accident involving death or personal injury."

Following this new ruling the case will return to the lower court judge for resentencing.

This is the second appeal Satterfield's attorney has made. The first-- simply that he was sentenced too harshly-- was rejected by a Superior Court panel in 2020.

to follow Daily Voice Saddle Brook-Elmwood Park and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE