Elderly woman charged with homicide by vehicle in shopping center crash

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An 84-year-old woman who claims to have suffered a diabetic emergency was charged with felony homicide by vehicle in connection with a fatal crash reports WTAE.

Pennsylvania State Police say Dolores Heard, of Baden, lost control of her vehicle on the afternoon of May 18, 2015, while driving north on Route 819 near Countryside Plaza in East Huntingdon Township, Westmoreland County.

The vehicle reportedly went off road and over a series of elevated curbs in the shopping plaza before hitting a another parked car.

Joseph Soforic Jr., 52, of Scottdale was pronounced dead after he was struck by his parked vehicle as it spun from the impact with Heard’s vehicle, according to police.

Police say Heard’s vehicle also grazed the bumper of a car parked next to Soforic’s vehicle and continued through the lot before coming to rest near Rent-A-Center.

Heard’s attorney acknowledged that she has had diabetes for awhile, but said she had a valid driver’s license at the time of the crash and was never told not to drive.

Heard remains free while awaiting a preliminary hearing.

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