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Man found guilty of driving in front of train, killing passenger
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A Beaver County man who drove into the path of an oncoming train, killing his passenger, was found guilty yesterday of all 15 charges against him in a nonjury trial.

Jayson Hatton, 38, of Monaca, will be sentenced Aug. 7 before Beaver County Common Pleas Judge John P. Dohanich.

The judge found Mr. Hatton guilty of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, drunken driving and numerous other charges.

Monaca police said Mr. Hatton was driving a pickup truck on 14th Street in Monaca in April 2008 when he drove around lowered crossing gates and onto railroad tracks.

His passenger, Jesse R. Kownacki, 29, was ejected from the truck and died.

Medical records showed Mr. Hatton's blood-alcohol level was 0.153, nearly twice the legal limit for driving in Pennsylvania.

First published on June 30, 2009 at 12:00 am
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