PHIL HOLMES/Sun-Gazette The woman riding in this Chevrolet Cruze was killed when the car and a Jeep Grand Cherokee collided on Route 87 in Upper Fairfield Township on July 6.

Authorities charged a Berks County juvenile in the death of a Montoursville woman that occurred along Route 87 in Upper Fairfield Township over the summer.

Stephen Andrew Yuhasz, 17, of Reading, has been charged with homicide by vehicle and other offenses for the July 6 crash that claimed the life of Kathleen McFadden, 65, who was a passenger in a 2014 Chevrolet Cruze driven by her husband, Mark K. McFadden, 69, just two miles from their home.

As the couple was heading home, a 2011 Jeep Grand-Cherokee driven by Yuhasz and occupied by his girlfriend, Sarah Anderson, 19, entered the northbound lane of traffic, attempting to pass another southbound vehicle, according to court filings.

Yuhasz swerved to the left towards the eastern shoulder in an attempt to avoid the collision as McFadden swerved to the right, and was struck by the jeep resulting in his car being spun around, according to Mark McFadden and other witness statements.

The McFaddens’ Cruze spun clockwise 90 degrees and came to rest in the northbound lane of Route 87, facing east.

The Jeep deflected off the McFaddens’ car and exited the roadway, traveling down an embankment, rotating 210 degrees and striking a concrete drainage pipe, causing it to overturn and go airborne, after which it struck a tree and slid back onto its tires.

Interviewed at UPMC Williamsport, Yuhasz stated that he was behind a vehicle traveling five to 10 miles under the speed limit and wanted to pass it, an affidavit said.

He admitted to seeing McFadden’s Chevrolet in the oncoming lane, but believed he had time to pass it before realizing that the vehicle was traveling “significantly faster than the speed limit,” according to police.

He was traveling approximately 60 to 65 mph, Yuhasz allegedly told police, authorities said.

A report issued by a collision reconstructionist, using data from the respective vehicles’ airbag control modules, stated that McFadden was traveling between 49 and 54 mph just prior to the crash, while Yuhasz’s speed was estimated to be between 76 and 83 mph just seconds before the crash, an affidavit said.

Kathleen McFadden was killed instantly due to blunt force trauma, a police report said. She was the only party in the crash to be wearing a seatbelt at the time.

Mark McFadden sustained serious injuries and was transported to UPMC Williamsport.

“Due to the grossly negligent actions of Yuhasz that led to the fatal motor vehicle collision,” Lycoming County District Attorney Tom Marino approved of charging Yuhasz as an adult, despite his being 17 at the time of the crash, the affidavit read.

In addition to the homicide charge, Yuhasz also faces a count of murder in the third degree, two count of aggravated assault by vehicle, three counts of recklessly endangering another person, and one count each of reckless driving, careless driving, passing on the left in an unsafe manner, failing to use a seatbelt and speeding.

At a preliminary arraignment before District Judge Gary Whiteman, Yuhasz’s bail was set at $25,000 with eligibility for release upon paying 10%. He was released after his father posted the $2,500 bond.

Yuhasz is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 13, 2025.