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Estate Of PA “Grammy” Sues For Wrongful Death Following Fatal I-81 Crash: Update
Editor's Note: Flock Freight, Inc. has been removed as a defendant from the lawsuit. This article has been updated to reflect that change.
The estate of a woman known lovingly as "Grammy" to her family is suing for her wrongful death after a tragic crash on Interstate 81, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Wednesday, Jan. 29 and Tuesday, Nov. 12.
Eileen Beck, 80, who was born and raised in West Orange, New Jersey, and her companion John Sheltman, 79 — both with ties to Selinsgrove but most recently lived in Towada — were in a Subaru Outback. Lieu Nguyen, 49, of Har…
Officer Ryan Kingerski Dies Suddenly At 26: Penn Hills Police
A Penn Hills police officer has died suddenly, the department announced.
Officer Ryan J. Kingerski, 26, of Monroeville, passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, Jan. 25, 2025, according to his obituary.
“It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we announce the sudden passing of Officer Ryan Kingerski, a dedicated member of our police family,” the department said in a statement.
Kingerski served with the Penn Hills Police Department for the past three years, earning a reputation for his unwavering commitment and professionalism in protecting the community, police said.
It is w…
Explicit Video Shown To Students, Teen Threatened By Paraprofessional: Berks DA
A Reading School District employee showed sexually explicit material to middle school students, inappropriately touched a 13-year-old boy, and threatened another teen, the Berks County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday, Jan. 29.
Stephanie Quintero-Ochoa, 19, of Reading, was charged with unlawful contact with a minor, indecent exposure, dissemination of explicit sexual material via electronic communication, corruption of minors, and endangering the welfare of children.
The investigation began in December 2024 after multiple ChildLine reports alleged that Quintero-Ochoa was en…
PA School Bus Crash Kills Man Decades Later: Coroner
A man who was struck by a school bus more than two decades ago in Allentown has died, surrounded by family, the Lehigh County Coroner's Office announced on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Nassim Younes, 86, passed away on Saturday, Jan. 25, at Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, from traumatic brain injuries sustained in a crash on Friday, Jan. 4, 2002. He was crossing the 300 block of W. Tilghman Street when he was hit by a school bus, according to the coroner.
Born on Jan. 5, 1939, in Amar, Syria, to the late Elias and Aziza Younes, Nassim migrated to the United States in 1976. He worked at Quaker Sho…
Dad Used Pen Camera To Record Victims In Bathroom, Sexually Abused Boys: Berks DA
A Harrisburg dad is accused of sexually abusing two boys and secretly recording videos of them and another family member using a hidden pen camera, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
Kemish A. Soto-Munet, 29, was charged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault, sexual abuse of children, invasion of privacy, and corruption of minors, according to investigators.
**WARNING THE FOLLOWING DETAILS ARE DISTURBING**
The investigation began on Sunday, July 28, 2024, with a Childline referral alle…
NJ 25-Year-Old Woman Killed In Icy Crash On I-295, PA State Police Say
A 25-year-old woman was killed and a man was seriously injured after a crash on Interstate 295 Eastbound in Middletown Township, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday, Jan. 28.
The crash happened around 8:52 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 26, at mile marker 5.7 of I-295 Eastbound, according to state police.
Samantha Kaitlin Cote, of High Bridge, New Jersey, was driving a 2007 Toyota Matrix on the ramp from US-1 Southbound to I-295 Eastbound when she lost control of her car after hitting a patch of ice, investigators said.
Cote's vehicle swerved right, then left, hitting a metal guide ra…
Flu Cases, Related ER Visits On Rise Nationwide
Flu activity remains high and is increasing across many parts of the country.
For the week ending Saturday, Jan. 18, 25 percent of tests returned positive for flu, up from 19 percent the previous week, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More than five percent of emergency-room visits were flu-related, with notable increases among infants, older children, and teens, nearing pre-holiday surge levels.
"The country is still experiencing elevated influenza activity and that is expected to continue for several more weeks," the CDC said.
Elev…
$33K Laundered, Vehicles Sold To Drug Traffickers By PA Car Dealership: Usdoj
A Lancaster car dealership laundered more than $33,000 in drug money through vehicle sales, leading to federal prison sentences for two men, prosecutors announced on Monday, Jan. 27.
Christopher Lopez, 41, and Michael Torres, 43, both of Lancaster, were sentenced after being convicted of conspiring to launder cash proceeds represented as cocaine sales, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
Lopez, the owner of C&D Motorsports, received one year and one day in prison, while Torres, a salesperson, was sentenced to six months. Both were also orde…
CT Couple Killed In PA Hit-And-Run; Driver Sentenced To Up To 56 Years
A Pennsylvania man was sentenced to 26 years, nine months to 56 years, 10 months in state prison for causing the high-speed hit-and-run crash that killed a Connecticut couple in Bucks County last February.
John Thomas Wadlinger Jr., 32, of Bensalem, received the sentence from Common Pleas Judge C. Theodore Fritsch on Monday, Jan. 27, 2025, at the Bucks County Justice Center. He was also ordered to pay $14,971.11 in restitution and $8,100 in fines for the crash that killed Rebecca Whiddon, 33, and her husband Richard Whiddon, 37, both of Brooklyn, CT.
Crash And Aftermath
On Feb. 24, 2024, Wa…
55lbs Twin Teens Running Naked In Freezing Temperatures Lands PA Parents Charges: Affidavit
Twin 15-year-old boys, each weighing only 55 pounds, were subjected to horrific abuse by their mother and stepfather, including being forced to stand outside naked in freezing temperatures and denied food, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan announced Monday, Jan. 27.
Joshua Dechant, 36, and Tracy Dechant, 42, both of Lower Macungie Township, are charged with felony counts of endangering the welfare of children after a naked, malnourished teen was found running through their neighborhood in 2-degree weather on Jan. 22, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Pennsylvania Sta…
Pennsylvania Navy Veteran Found Dead In Submerged Car In West Virginia Lake
A Pennsylvania U.S. Navy veteran was found dead in Cheat Lake, West Virginia, after his car plunged off Interstate 68, officials announced on Sunday, Jan. 26.
Kevin Lataille, 59, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania, had last been seen leaving work at an Eat'n Park in Morgantown, West Virginia, on Jan. 19, according to Missing People in America.
He was last spotted driving a bronze 2013 Hyundai Tucson with Pennsylvania license plates from a Kroger Fuel Center on University Avenue. His body was recovered after a vehicle was found submerged in Cheat Lake, according to Monongalia County an…
Triple Murder-Suicide: Preschooler, Toddler, Mom Killed By PA Dad Before Turning Gun On Self
Two young children and their parents were found dead in their Westmoreland County home in an apparent murder-suicide, authorities announced.
Paul Swarner, 35, his wife Karen (Powers) Swarner, 32, and their two children, Evelyn, 5, and Connor, 1, were discovered in the same room at their home on 140 Keck Lane in Hempfield Township late Thursday night, Jan. 23, Pennsylvania State Police said.
Karen’s father found the bodies after becoming concerned when he couldn’t reach her for over 24 hours. He called 911 at approximately 11:30 p.m., and responding officers recovered a Ruger .22 handgun, …
Snowmobilers Who Tormented Red Fox Turn Themselves In: PA Game Commission
The suspects accused of repeatedly running over a red fox with their snowmobiles in Heidelberg Township have turned themselves in, the Pennsylvania Game Commission announced on Friday, Jan. 24.
Public outcry and widespread social media attention surrounding the incident, which occurred on Monday, Jan. 20, in Lebanon County, played a crucial role in pressuring the individuals to come forward, authorities said.
Charges will be filed against the suspects, and restitution will be added to the penalties, according to the Game Commission.
The incident, described as a horrific act of animal h…
Driver Indicted In Crash That Killed Penn State, NFL Players
A woman has been charged in a 13-count indictment for the crash in Prince George's County that claimed the lives of Minnesota Vikings rookie cornerback Khyree Jcakson and two former teammates last year.
The 24-year-old Wise High School graduate was the front seat passenger in a Dodge Charger involved in a crash in July 2024 in Upper Marlboro.
Isaiah Hazel, 23, and Anthony Lytton, Jr., 24, both of Upper Marlboro, also died.
This week, Prince George's County State's Attorney Aisha Braveboy announced that Cori Clingman, who was 23 at the time of the crash, is responsible for the crash an…
Reading Meth, Fentanyl Trafficker Arrested: DA Says
A Reading man was arrested for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl after a months-long investigation, Berks County authorities announced Friday, Jan. 24.
Walter Carrera, 38, of 1219 Windsor Street, was taken into custody when detectives and Pennsylvania State Troopers served a search warrant at his home earlier in the day, Chief County Detective Michael Gombar said.
The investigation began in October 2024, with undercover purchases and surveillance identifying Carrera as a distributor, Gombar said. During the search of his residence, detectives seized:
Approximately six grams of fen…
'Mob Wives' Star Natalie DiDonato Found Safe In Nevada After Reported Missing
Natalie DiDonato, a cast member from Season 5 of "Mob Wives", has been found safe in Nevada, ending a brief missing-persons search, NBC News reported.
DiDonato, 44, contacted her mother, Denise Fuoco, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025, and assured her she was safe and not being held against her will. "My daughter's been found," Fuoco told NBC News. "She's fine right now. We're trying to get her home."
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed that its search for DiDonato was officially over. In a statement released on Thursday, Jan. 23, the LVMPD said, "This case has been closed. We …
