Teen driver charged in McCandless crash that killed 2 other teens
Moments before 18- year- old Aiden Saber lost control of his mother’s Land Rover as it sped toward Babcock Boulevard in McCandless last year, friends begged him to slow down.
It was shortly before 3:30 a.m. Dec. 23 — about 12 hours into Pine-Richland High School’s week-long winter break. Mr. Saber was driving, and five other teens were in the car with him. Taylor Orlowski, 18, was on one side of the backseat, according to a criminal complaint against Mr. Saber, and 14-year-old Jonathan Tourney was on the other.
Investigators determined the SUV was traveling at least 72 mph when Mr. Saber lost control at a bend in Irwin Road. The ensuing crash nearly tore the car in half, police said. Orlowski and Jonathan were thrown from the vehicle.
Orlowski was pronounced dead at the scene. Jonathan died about an hour later en route to Children’s Hospital via Life Flight.
Mr. Saber is charged with two counts each of involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle, three counts of aggravated assault by vehicle, and other misdemeanor and summary charges.
Jonathan was a freshman at Pine-Richland and a starting receiver on the school’s junior varsity football team. His older brother, a 2023 graduate of Pine-Richland, was among the others in the car that night. Orlowski graduated in 2023from Ambridge High School. She was an avid equestrian.
The front seat passenger, a teenager and recent graduate of PineRichland High School, told police the six had been drinking at his home before they left for North Park, according to the complaint. He said he thought Mr. Saber had consumed two Busch Light Peach beers over the course of the night.
The witness said the group went to the park via Irwin Road and then walked the trails, according to the complaint. It wasn’t clear how long they were there, but the witness said that after they all piled back into the Land Rover, Mr. Saber pulled out and “punched” it.
He and one of the surviving backseat passengers were telling Mr. Saber to slow down, the witness said. He said he was scared. As they begged him to slow down, Mr. Saber allegedly sped up, telling them, “I got it,” according to the complaint.
Moments later, as they neared Babcock Boulevard, the SUV slammed into a tree. He and the front seat passenger were able to get out of the wreckage themselves. Orlowski and Jonathan were ejected.
Two other teens were in the vehicle: another recent Pine-Richland graduate and his 14-year-old brother, who was riding in the hatchback of the SUV.
Police later discovered blood drawn from Mr. Saber the morning of the crash showed he had a blood-alcohol content of about 0.047%; the legal limit for drivers under 21 is .02%.