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2 held in connection with fatal Monroeville crash

2 held in connection with fatal Monroeville crash

Two men were ordered held for trial today on charges stemming from an allegedly drug-induced accident in which a teenage passenger was killed in August in Monroeville.

Joshua M. Ricketts, 24, was ordered held for trial on charges of homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving drunk, and six counts of driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

Dominic J. Rometo, 19, of Monroeville, who had been a passenger in Mr. Ricketts' vehicle, waived his right to a hearing on two felony counts of possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, as well as possession and conspiracy to possess controlled substances.

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Police said Mr. Rometo was a back-seat passenger in a car driven by Mr. Ricketts Aug. 13 when the driver blacked out after huffing a liquid latex solvent to get even higher than investigators said he already was that morning.

Mr. Ricketts crashed at 5:10 a.m. after he became unconscious, and the car crashed into a utility pole in the 4000 block of Monroeville Boulevard.

Brandy Morris, 18, of Penn Hills, who had been a front-seat passenger in the car, was killed in the crash.

A 16-year-old girl, whose name was not given by police, was seated in the rear with Mr. Rometo.

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Prosecutors withdrew charges of involuntary manslaughter and corruption of a minor against Mr. Rometo. Police said he had passed the solvent to Mr. Ricketts just before the crash.

Mr. Rometo remains free on his own recognizance, pending his formal arraignment Jan. 10 in Common Pleas Court.

Police said lab tests show that Mr. Ricketts had marijuana and cocaine in his system at the time of the accident. He also had been drinking and had ingested methylenedioxy methamphetamine, or MDMA, which is commonly known as Ecstasy.

The Ecstasy and cocaine had been provided by Mr. Rometo, police said.

In his statement to police, Mr. Ricketts admitted that he had been drinking. His blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.093, above the state's 0.08 drunken driving threshold.

First Published: December 21, 2007, 7:30 p.m.

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