Published: August 10, 2008 11:06 pm      

Driver facing charges in Hornerstown crash

A local man is facing a variety of charges after the car he was driving was stopped by police Saturday night in Hornerstown.

He is Ronald Webb, 50, of the 400 block of Wood Street.

After being stopped at 9:15 p.m. for a speeding investigation by Officer Erin Kabler, Webb drove off. Police subsequently lost sight of the vehicle near Hickory Street.

After a brief search, Kabler found the car and learned it had crashed into another car at Hickory and Pine streets, hit the corner of a house in the 200 block of Hickory Street and then crashed through the living room of an adjacent house.

The vehicle struck a 5-year-old girl who was inside the house in the living room.

Johnstown police have charged Webb with drunken driving, aggravated assault by vehicle while driving drunk, flight to avoid apprehension, fleeing and eluding police, accidents involving death/personal injury, accidents involving death/personal injury while not properly licensed, accidents involving damage to attended vehicle or property, driving while license suspended, habitual offender and six counts of recklessly endangering another person.

Webb also is facing a number of summary charges, Kabler said.

He was arraigned early Sunday before on-call District Judge Max Pavlovich and was placed in the Cambria County Prison, Ebensburg, in lieu of $20,000 bond.

A preliminary hearing was scheduled for Thursday before District Judge Leonard Grecek.

Webb and one of his passengers, Robert Prbehalla, 44, of Arthur Street, Dale Borough, were taken to Memorial Medical Center with minor injuries. Webb refused treatment, Kabler said.

Prbehalla was treated and released, a hospital supervisor said.

Prbehalla was charged with two summary offenses, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness, Kabler said.

Webb’s other passenger, Allen Hale, 22, of Ash Street, was not injured and was not charged, Kabler said.

Two women in the car struck by Webb’s vehicle also were taken to Memorial.

Sabrina Hardison, 30, of Sherman Street was listed in stable condition Sunday. Jennifer Ortega, 24, of Oak Street, was treated and released.

The 5-year-old was taken to Memorial with what Kabler said was a leg injury. He declined to identify the child Sunday, but said her injury did not appear life-threatening.

Kabler said the first house on Hickory Street that was struck by the Webb car was being remodeled. It first was reported as abandoned.

He credited nearby residents with apprehending the suspects. A group of citizens caught them running and brought them back to police, he said.