Man admits to vehicular homicide in Montco
A Philly man admitted that his reckless driving caused a head-on, two-vehicle crash in Cheltenham.
NORRISTOWN >> A Philadelphia man, who authorities said had traces of marijuana in his system while operating his vehicle, admitted that his reckless driving caused a head-on, two-vehicle crash in Cheltenham that claimed the life of his passenger.
Ivan Jamir Marbley, 20, of the 5700 block of Osage Avenue, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to charges of homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence of a controlled substance in connection with the Nov. 10, 2018, crash that claimed the life of 20-year-old Tahir Ameen Crawley Hayes.
Judge Wendy G. Rothstein deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Marbley. The open plea means Marbley has no deals with prosecutors regarding his potential punishment.
Marbley, who remains free on bail pending a sentencing hearing, faces a possible maximum sentence of 3½-to-7-years in prison on the charges. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
Court papers indicate the incident marked Marbley’s first DUI conviction.
The investigation began about 4:57 p.m. when Cheltenham police responded to reports of a two-vehicle crash in the area of Oak Lane Road and Barclay Circle in the Melrose Park section of the township. Police observed a 2010 Honda Civic and a 2010 Lexus RX350 were involved in the crash and both sustained “extensive front end damage,” according to court papers.
Marbley, the operator of the Honda, sustained a serious leg injury and was unable to exit the vehicle, police said.
“The front seat passenger in the Honda (Hayes) was unconscious, suffering from head trauma and was not breathing,” Cheltenham Police Officer Joseph Morrissey wrote in the arrest affidavit, adding Hayes was pronounced dead at the scene.
An autopsy later determined Hayes died from multiple injuries.
Marbley was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. The driver of the Lexus, a 41-year-old woman, had non-life-threatening injuries and also was transported to a local hospital for treatment, police said.
A joint investigation by township police and county detectives determined Marbley was traveling northbound on Oak Lane Road when he attempted to pass another northbound vehicle and his Honda crossed the double yellow lines and entered the southbound lanes of Oak Lane Road, striking the southbound Lexus vehicle head-on, according to the criminal complaint.
“The front end of the Honda violently impacted the front end of the Lexus,” Morrissey alleged. “The impact between the Honda and Lexus was so severe and had such a high degree of energy transfer that the forward momentum of the Lexus was eliminated.”
The investigation determined Marbley was traveling at a minimum speed of 52 mph in an area posted 35 mph at the time of the crash.
Subsequent forensic tests determined Marbley’s blood contained metabolites of marijuana, according to the criminal complaint.
In arrest documents, detectives alleged the cause of the crash was directly related to the manner in which Marbley was operating his vehicle and that he “operated this vehicle in an extremely reckless and careless manner” and with “the presence of marijuana” in his bloodstream.