A man turned himself in to Falls Township police Friday on charges he was drunk when he caused a one-vehicle accident that killed a man on Mother’s Day afternoon.
John Harvie, 45, of Bristol Township’s Levittown section, was arraigned Friday afternoon on charges of homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while DUI, involuntary manslaughter, several counts of recklessly endangering another person and related traffic offenses.
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Harvie is alleged to have been intoxicated behind the wheel of his GMC pickup truck when he crashed on northbound Route 1 on the afternoon of May 11. The crash caused Robert Robinson, 45, to fly out of the truck’s passenger side window and onto the highway. Police said Robinson suffered serious injuries and died at Capital Health System’s Trenton hospital.
Police said Harvie smelled of alcoholic beverages on his breath at the scene of the accident. It is noted in court papers that Harvie had glassy eyes and was speaking in a slow and slurred manner.
Harvie told police he was childhood friends with the victim. He said the two were headed to the shore due to the nice weather, according to court papers.
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Harvie first “seemed evasive when asked if he drank alcohol before the crash,” police wrote in court papers. They added Harvie admitted they “both drank a six-pack of Heineken seven-ounce beer” before the wreck.
A firefighter who responded to the crash told an officer Harvie said the two men “had been drinking and only had a six-pack to kill,” court papers say.
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A witness told police she saw Harvie’s pickup speeding and swerving in and out of traffic in her rear view mirror. The witness said she swerved to avoid being struck by the truck, according to court papers.
Police said they determined the pickup struck the median twice and caused Robinson to be ejected out of the vehicle. From there, the truck reportedly came down onto Robinson and ran him over.
According to police, Harvie failed a field sobriety test. A crime lab analysis of Harvie’s blood showed his blood alcohol level was .125. The legal limit to drive is .08.
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An inspection of the pickup did not uncover any defects that could have contributed to the fatal crash, police said. They added that the vehicle’s computer showed the truck was traveling at nearly 30 MPH over the speed limited at the time.
Harvie was released on $50,000 unsecured bail.
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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.
A previous version of this story incorrectly noted Mr. Harvie’s hometown.
