EVANS CITY — A man who allegedly struck and killed a pedestrian while under the influence of alcohol had the most serious charges against him held to court Tuesday during a preliminary hearing.

John G. Turcic, 62, of Mars will next be in court April 20 where he will face charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence as well as charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance and careless driving.

District Judge Wayne Seibel dismissed a charge of reckless driving during the preliminary hearing.

The charges stem from an incident on Dec. 10 that occurred in the Adams Shoppes complex off Route 228.

According to police, Turcic was cutting through the parking lot in the Adams Shoppes to refill a prescription at a nearby Giant Eagle.

Turcic, who told police he became momentarily distracted by a piece of mail on his passenger’s seat, hit William Kvindis with his vehicle.

Kvindis, 80, later died at a Pittsburgh hospital of head injuries, according to an autopsy.

According to court documents, Turcic admitted to drinking a “fair-sized” glass of vodka before driving. He also had taken the antidepressant Zoloft earlier in the day.

Adams Township officer Michael Bordt testified at the preliminary hearing that, according to eyewitness accounts, Turcic was driving 25 to 30 mph during the accident “which is fast for a parking lot.”

Patrick Livingston, Turcic’s attorney out of Pittsburgh, countered the assertion that his client was drunk at the time of the accident because Turcic’s blood alcohol level only registered at .052 percent.

The legal limit is .08 percent for drivers to be considered intoxicated in Pennsylvania.

However, Bordt said Turcic had mixed alcohol and his antidepressant medication despite warnings on the medication’s label that are “blatantly marked on numerous occasions” advising against doing so.

In addition, Bordt said Turcic failed several field sobriety tests at the scene, including one in which Turcic allegedly fell over several times while trying to stand on one foot.

Seibel dismissed the charge of reckless driving after saying prosecutors failed to establish enough evidence to hold it to court.