Ashland man facing homicide charges for March crash that killed Wilburton man
FOUNTAIN SPRINGS – An Ashland man is facing vehicular homicide charges for his role in a crash that killed a Wilburton man back in March.
Wade Bucher, 47, of 108 East Centre Street, was charged by Butler Township Police this week with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, among other traffic offenses.
According to the criminal complaint filed by Butler Township Police Chief Christopher Hand, the crash happened just before 7am on March 3 at 622 Fountain Street near Fountain Springs.
Hand, a patrolman at the time, was dispatched to the crash and found a two car crash involving a Ford Fiesta and a Chevrolet Colorado.
The driver of the Ford Fiesta was identified as Frank Gronski, of Wilburton, and had no pulse when both hand and a registered nurse who lived nearby checked for one.
Hand said he spoke to Bucher, the driver of the Chevrolet Colorado, who said he “must have fallen asleep” and that he “woke up on impact.”
A witness in the vehicle ahead of Bucher’s said that, for about two miles, the Colorado behind him had been weaving in and out of the travel lane and, at one point, they had to speed up to avoid being rear-ended.
Near Joe Thurs Automotive, the witness said the Colorado crossed lanes and struck the Fiesta.
Gronski was pronounced dead at the scene by Schuylkill County Deputy Coroner Andrew Szczyglak and a State Police crash reconstruction unit investigated the incident.
Bucher was arraigned Monday and committed to Schuylkill County Prison, unable to post 10% of $100,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 4 before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli in Frackville.
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