Teen pleads guilty in North Park crash that killed 2 teenage passengers, sentence handed down

A teenager has pleaded guilty to a deadly crash in North Park just before Christmas last year.

Aiden Saber, 19, has been sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison followed by probation.

Taylor Orlowski, 18, of Baden, and Jonathan Tourney, 14, of Gibsonia, died in the single-vehicle crash near Babcock Avenue in McCandless on Dec. 23. The four other people in the car had minor injuries.

A criminal complaint states that when the car hit the tree, it split nearly in half, veered across Irwin Road and came to a rest on a wooded hillside.

Jonathan’s brother, Jeffrey Tourney, 18, who was also in the vehicle, testified against Saber in March.

“Hopefully some day they can accept his apology and his regret and remorse,” Saber’s defense attorney, Casey White told Channel 11.

Saber tearfully apologized to the families of Taylor and Jonathan Monday. He told them he takes full responsibility for the teens’ deaths, and has deep remorse.

Two days before last Christmas, Saber had alcohol in his system, and drove at least 70 miles per hour in North Park. He lost control of the SUV, and Taylor and Jonathan, who were passengers, were killed.

“This was an 18-year-old kid that made a dumb mistake for lack of a legal term. We’ve been there. I was there when I was 18. Unfortunately it can happen to anybody,” White said.

For most of the hearing, the judge heard victim impact statements from Taylor and Jonathan’s friends and family — some, so heartbreaking, that even the judge began crying.

Despite an apology from Saber, the teens’ mothers made it clear they’re still struggling with grief.

Taylor’s mother, Heather McCandless, told Saber, “I’ll never forgive you. It haunts me every day that I wasn’t by Taylor’s side to hold her hand, and tell her I love her.”

Jonathan’s mom, Ellie Tourney, who said she often thinks about her son’s final moments, wondering “Was he scared? Was he screaming? I hope you hear their voices telling you to slow down forever.”

“After sitting through that, I don’t blame anyone for crying, no matter whose side you’re on. We’re all humans, and a lot of us placed ourselves in every one of those kids’ shoes.

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