A pedestrian and a State College police sergeant involved in an East Beaver Avenue crash last month both will face summary charges, state police said Friday.
Kevin R. Ignatuk, 21, will be charged with public drunkenness or similar misconduct, jaywalking and a related alcohol violation in the April 25 accident. Sgt. Bill Muse, a 16-year veteran of the borough police force, will be charged with driving at a speed unsafe for the conditions.
Muse was patrolling the downtown about 1:40 a.m. April 25 when his Chevrolet Tahoe collided with Ignatuk on the 400 block of East Beaver Avenue. Muse told other police that he couldn’t stop quickly enough when Ignatuk, on foot, crossed into the vehicle’s path.
A Penn State student from Thornton, Ignatuk suffered head and leg injuries in the crash.
‘Ignatuk ran onto Beaver Avenue without looking or stopping for the existing hazards,’ state police Cpl. David Roland wrote in the accident report, released Friday. ‘This was done so outside of a legal crosswalk area. This was verified through independent witnesses and video footage obtained from the (adjacent) Beaver Terrace apartment-building camera.’
Shortly after the collision, Muse estimated that he had been driving 30 mph to 35 mph when it happened. The speed limit there is 25 mph.
The accident investigation, led by state police in Hollidaysburg, found that Muse was traveling between 36 mph and 39 mph.
‘I think the investigation was fair; I think it was thorough; I think it was impartial,’ State College police Chief Tom King said Friday. He said Muse was candid and forthright with investigators — and praised him for that.
‘I support him as a police officer, and I continue to support him,’ King said. He believes that Muse ‘would have had to have been going really slow, below the speed limit’ to avoid striking Ignatuk, he said.
Per a State College police policy, an internal investigation by the department will review the summary charge filed against Muse, King said. He said he will determine whether Muse will face any consequences within the department.
Muse has not been suspended, and will not be demoted or terminated, including if the internal investigation upholds the state police’s findings, King said. Fines for summary offenses in Pennsylvania are capped at $1,500, but normally are far less than the maximum.
‘We’re not talking about gross negligence or absurd behavior,’ King said of the charge against Muse. He said Muse, the borough’s bomb technician, has an exemplary career as a dedicated police officer. Muse has been a sergeant for six years and has been noted for his work in DUI and drug cases.
King also has released a formal written statement about the accident. StateCollege.com has posted the full text of his statement on this page.
Ignatuk did not immediately respond to a message Friday from StateCollege.com. He was in critical condition for several days after the crash.
But Ignatuk has since returned home and is undergoing physical therapy, King said, citing a conversation he had with Ignatuk’s mother.
A message posted on Ignatuk’s Facebook profile reads: ‘Very happy to be home and in surprisingly good shape. Thanks for all the get well wishes as they really helped through these tough times.’
Earlier coverage: State Police Take Charge In Pedestrian-Crash Probe
