ROCHESTER, Pa. — A man is accused of being under the influence during a hit-and-run crash that killed an elementary school child in Beaver County.
The hit-and-run crash happened just before 5 p.m. on Friday. A third-grader riding a bike was hit by a truck and killed at the intersection of Pennsylvania Avenue and Lacock Street in Rochester Borough.
Now, court documents show that Thomas Earl Cole, 53, is charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI and accidents involving death or personal injury.
A criminal complaint states the crash was caught on video. Cameras captured a black truck turning right and colliding with the child on a bike, but not stopping. That truck was registered to Cole.
When officers later located Cole at his home, the complaint states there was “an odor of an intoxicating beverage on his breath” when he spoke.
Cole also reportedly asked an officer, “how can I get a DUI if I have been drinking at my house all day?”
During an interview, Cole told police he was trying to find his way home because of a road closure, and felt a bump when he made a turn by Rochester Turners, but only saw a pile of rocks when he looked back.
The results from a blood draw are still pending.
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