A Shaler man remained free on bond after he was ordered today to stand trial, charged with having been drunk last May when he drove the wrong way onto a Fort Duquesne Bridge ramp where his car collided with another, killing the other driver and permanently disabling a passenger in the driver's car.

Killed in the crash, reported at 3:11 a.m. May 9, was Damien Randolph, 27, of the North Side.

Mr. Randolph's passenger, Philip Givner, still is hospitalized. He suffered brain damage, blindness and permanent paralysis, Assistant District Attorney Ilan Zur said at a preliminary hearing today.

District Judge Kim Hoots of Wilkinsburg, who presided over the hearing, ordered the suspect, Zachary Ryan Schell, 21, to stand trial on charges of homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving drunk, two counts of aggravated assault while driving drunk, two counts of drunken driving and a half dozen traffic violations.

State police Trooper Brian Schutz testified that video surveillance cameras mounted at Heinz Field captured images of Mr. Schell, driving his friend's Cadillac, making an illegal turn from Allegheny Avenue onto the exit ramp from the Fort Duquesne Bridge.

At the same time, Mr. Randolph, who had been traveling on the bridge, exited onto the ramp, and his Kia Rio collided with the Cadillac. The collision forced the Kia onto the concrete guide rail of the ramp.

Both drivers were drunk at the time, Trooper Schutz testified today. Mr. Schell's blood-alcohol level was 0.157, and Mr. Randolph's was 0.143.

Mr. Schell was visibly drunk, confused, distraught and crying when troopers arrived at the scene. His speech was slurred, said Trooper Schutz, as he said, "I just killed somebody."

Reading from Mr. Schell's statement to police, Trooper Schutz quoted the suspect as saying, "I don't know how it happened. I was driving because by buddy [and passenger, Robert Ritz Jr. of Uniontown] was way too drunk."

The Cadillac was owned by Mr. Ritz who suffered a ruptured spleen, and who still is being treated for a chronic back injury, Mr. Zur said.

"I was praying those people would not die," Trooper Schutz continued to quote Mr. Schell. "I don't know why nobody swerved. I know it was my fault. I'm going to go to jail for life."

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