There have been two big developments this week in the case of a crashed trash truck along Route 183 earlier this year.
Police have now charged a man who was at the scene claiming to be the driver of the truck at the time it crashed into a vehicle with a woman inside, several parked vehicles at a nearby business, and a utility pole.
George Keller, 54, of Bernville, was not the driver of the truck when it crashed on Jan. 15 near the R&J Transportation headquarters along Route 183 outside Cressona, police say. Instead, they say he told the actual driver – previously identified and charged James Ulrich Jr., of New Philadelphia – to flee the scene of the crash because Ulrich didn’t have a driver’s license.
Keller, police say, told Ulrich to leave and then he showed up at the scene claiming to be the driver during the crash that injured one woman. Police say the woman had to be extracted from her vehicle by cutting off its roof.
On Monday, police filed misdemeanor charges of filing a false report, knowingly giving police misleading information, and obstruction against Keller.
At the scene of that crash in January, police say they first encountered Keller while he was taking photos and sending them to his boss. In their affidavit, police put quotations around “photos” and “boss” indicating they don’t believe that’s what he was really doing.
Police say they asked Keller why he initially walked away from the scene in which he claimed to be the driver of the crashed trash truck. He reportedly responded that he was scared. During further questioning, Keller claimed he was alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash and that the vehicle he hit came into his lane. Despite saying he was alone in the vehicle, he reportedly told police “we” had just picked up a dumpster in Schuylkill Haven.
While the questioning continued, police were informed by another investigating officer that a witness to the crash said Keller was not the operator of the vehicle at the time. Keller was informed that his story just wasn’t adding up and that’s when he allegedly admitted that Ulrich Jr. was behind the wheel and Ulrich texted him after the crash to notify him of the incident.
Police say that during an interview with Ulrich on Feb. 5, he said Keller told him to flee the scene of the crash and that he’d respond.
Ulrich had already been charged for his alleged role in the crash. Witnesses reportedly told police they saw the truck Ulrich was driving go airborne and crash into another vehicle and then into several parked vehicles and a pole.
Ulrich Jr. appeared before Senior Magisterial District Judge Casimir Kosciolek Tuesday for a preliminary hearing on the charges against him in connection with this case. Police and the Schuylkill County District Attorney’s Office agreed to reduce felony charges of accidents involving personal injury against Ulrich Jr. to misdemeanors. All charges – including more than 20 others – against him were held over for Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas.
Ulrich Jr. remains free on $50,000 unsecured bail. Keller is to appear before Kosciolek on his charges on April 14.
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