A Shaler man remained free on bond after he was ordered yesterday to stand trial, charged with having been drunk in May when he drove the wrong way onto a Fort Duquesne Bridge ramp and was involved in a fatal crash.

Zachary Ryan Schell, 21, is accused of causing the death of Damien Randolph, 27, of the North Side and permanently disabling a passenger in Mr. Randolph's car, Philip Givner. Mr. Givner is still hospitalized with brain damage, blindness and permanent paralysis, Assistant District Attorney Ilan Zur said at a preliminary hearing yesterday.

State police Trooper Brian Schutz testified that the crash occurred at 3:11 a.m. May 9. He said 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 barrier of the ramp.

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

He said 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 my 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.' "

District Judge Kim Hoots of Wilkinsburg, who presided over the hearing, ordered Mr. Schell 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.

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