A man was charged via mail summons Tuesday afternoon in connection with a deadly Route 13 wreck that happened in January.
Brian Patterson, 60, of Bristol, is accused of of being under the influence of drugs at the time his black VW struck and killed Zachary Gonzalez, 15, of Levittown, along the busy roadway in Tullytown. Another teen was injured in the crash.
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Lab results revealed Patterson had several drugs in his system on the day of the crash, police said.
Below is a list of drugs that were found in Patterson’s body, according to court papers:
- Diazepam
- Nordiazpam
- Cocaine
- Benzoylecgonine
“I observed Patterson to have slow, slurred speech, and Patterson was difficult to understand, and had a hard time understanding the officers as well,” court papers filed by Officer John Finby read. He added in the documents that Patterson appeared to have trouble keeping his balance.
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“A crash reconstruction was performed by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office Homicide by Vehicle Task Force. As a result of the investigation, no chargeable violations were found in relation to the crash causation,” according to court paperwork.
Patterson was asked to submit to blood testing after the officers noticed him displaying signs of impairment, according to court papers. Patterson compiled and was transported to Lower Bucks Hospital in Bristol Township, police said.
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Police said they found a small orange pill bottle that was empty on Patterson. The 60-year-old said, according to police, there were “percs 10’s in there.”
The contents of the bottle’s label were unreadable, Finby noted in paperwork. He added that Patterson said the bottle belonged to his brother and that was where he kept his percs.
At the police station, Patterson repeatedly asked to return to his VW to retrieve his “oxy’s.” He also reportedly admitted he does not have a prescription for the drugs.
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Gonzalez was reported to be riding bikes with two friends when the accident happened around 4:40 p.m. on Sunday, January 19.
A photograph taken by Alex Lloyd Gross shows the striking vehicle with damage to the driver-side windshield.
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The accident happened on southbound Route 13 just past the Old Bristol Pike exit.
Patterson was charged with three counts of DUI and single counts of intentional possession of a controlled substance by a person who is not registered and use/possession of drug paraphernalia.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
