SLIPPERY ROCK — Charges of vehicular homicide were advanced to county Common Pleas Court on Wednesday, April 26, against a Canadian man who was driving the tractor trailer involved in a 2021 fatal school bus crash on Interstate 79.

The school bus driver and a passenger died in the November crash in Muddy Creek Township.

The charges were filed in January 2023 against Karandeep Singh, 30, of Calgary, Alberta, in the death of Lindsay Thompkins, 31, of Aliquippa, Beaver County, and a 14-year-old girl, who was among the 13 students from Lincoln Park Performing Arts Charter School in Beaver County aboard the bus.

Singh appeared in court Wednesday with defense attorney Adam Bishop for a hearing before District Judge Joseph Nash on the charges of felony homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, summaries reckless driving, operating a vehicle with unsafe equipment, and driving too slow for conditions.

Ethan Rensel, a state trooper, was first on scene at the Nov. 2 crash, which occurred on I-79 in the northbound lanes at mile marker 99.6.

The tractor trailer had been hit from behind by the school bus, Rensel said.

“Fire personnel were already working trying to extricate the two entrapped victims,” he said. “Two people were transported via helicopter … Two additional juveniles were transported via ambulance.”

Rensel said Singh told him the tractor trailer had merged onto the interstate from Exit 99 after previously stopping at a Pilot truck stop on Route 422.

“He was accelerating when he felt an impact from behind,” Rensel said.

Dave Beichner, assistant district attorney, asked Rensel if investigations done on the tractor trailer had an impact on the charges presented. Rensel indicated that they had.

Trooper Richard Woznicki, of the crash reconstruction unit, testified that the bus, traveling between 69 and 74 miles per hour, crashed directly into the trailer.

There was no mechanical data from the school bus to collect due to the damage, but data from the tractor trailer showed it traveling at 18 miles per hour.

He added that data from the tractor trailer’s entire trip averaged it traveling at 40 miles per hour.

The driver of an 18-wheeler voluntarily gave dashcam footage of his truck passing Singh’s earlier that day, Woznicki said.

“He was going roughly 78 miles an hour, and he passed (Singh) like he was standing still,” he said.

There were engine faults identified in Singh’s truck that prevented it from driving at a speed that did not impede traffic on the highway, Woznicki said. He said, at the time of collision, Singh was traveling at 18 mph with the gas pedal to the floor.

“He was traveling at unsafe speeds for the majority of his trip,” he said. “I have no idea how you wouldn’t know, if you’re giving 100%, why you’re going 18 miles an hour.”

Woznicki added that based on the speed of the bus, the driver would not have been able to avoid the collision.

“There’s a certain point where a driver won’t realize they’re getting closer and closer to this vehicle and be able to react,” he said. “A driver needs 1.6 seconds to react and press the brake.”

Rensel added during his statement that witnesses did not see the bus brake lights activate before the collision.

“Drivers aren’t expecting to come upon a vehicle going 18 miles an hour in a 70 mile an hour zone,” Woznicki said.

Beichner submitted Pennsylvania vehicle code as evidence, asking Nash to consider the violations it dictates when making his decision.

During closing arguments, Bishop stated Singh is a licensed driver, who was driving with a legal load of lumber that day on I-79.

“Under the circumstances I understand Singh was traveling well below the speed limit, but there’s no minimum speed,” he said. “I’d argue (the commonwealth) didn’t prove (Singh) was impeding traffic.”

He asked that all counts of homicide and aggravated assault by vehicle be dismissed, saying the commonwealth didn’t prove that Singh caused the accident.

Beichner said the case is based on the data presented.

“That throttle was pegged to the floor and that vehicle was not accelerating,” he said. “I believe the commonwealth has met its burden.”

Following nearly three hours of testimony, Nash moved the case over to Common Pleas Court.