Driver in Adenhart crash charged with murder
The Herald-Mail
Andrew Schotz
April 10, 2009
The man accused of driving drunk and causing a crash that killed Major League pitcher Nick Adenhart and two other people has been charged with three counts of murder.
Authorities in Orange County, Calif., said Friday that Andrew Thomas Gallo was charged with three felony counts of murder.
Gallo, 22, of San Gabriel, Calif., allegedly drove a minivan through a red light in Fullerton, Calif., early Thursday, hitting a Mitsubishi in which Adenhart, a 2004 Williamsport High School graduate, was a passenger.
Adenhart, 22, and two others in the car — Courtney Stewart, 20, and Henry Pearson, 25 — were killed, according to the Orange County District Attorney’s office.
Another passenger, 24-year-old Jon Wilhite, survived, but was in critical condition.
Authorities alleged that Gallo was driving about 65 mph in a 35 mph zone while under the influence of alcohol. A news release issued by the DA’s office says Gallo’s blood-alcohol level was almost three times the legal limit of .08.
Also, his driver’s license was suspended and he was on probation because of a previous drunk-driving conviction, the news release says.
Gallo, who is accused of running from the scene of the crash, was caught less than 30 minutes later, about two miles away, the news release says.
Gallo also was charged with one felony count each of fleeing the scene of a traffic collision involving death, driving under the influence causing injury and driving with a .08 percent blood-alcohol level causing injury.
He was being held on $1 million bail and will be arraigned Monday.
The crash came hours after Adenhart pitched six scoreless innings for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. It was his fourth Major League game.
