Homicide suspect Aaron Luster fought with his pregnant girlfriend and urged her to jump from the car he was driving shortly before she was struck and killed by another vehicle on the Parkway West, a prosecutor said yesterday.

First Assistant District Attorney Edward J. Borkowski told a jury that 911 dispatch tapes recorded Luster's fight with Christine Karcher shortly before her death in January 2003.

Borkowski described how the dispatchers heard Karcher, 33, screaming in pain, complaining that she believed her arm was broken. She repeatedly yelled for help. Luster was overheard encouraging her to jump, the prosecutor said.

Luster's trial on two homicide counts began with opening statements before a jury of seven women and five men in the courtroom of Common Pleas Judge Lawrence J. O'Toole.

Luster, 36, is charged in the deaths of Karcher and her unborn son, and also with aggravated assault, burglary and theft by unlawful taking.

Borkowski said in his opening statement that Luster set in motion a chain of events that directly led to Karcher's death.

Though Karcher, of Coraopolis, had been involved for many years with her boyfriend, Chester Bell, she carried on a relationship with Luster, also of Coraopolis, Borkowski told the jury.

Luster, Karcher and Bell were friends, though Borkowski said Bell may have been suspicious of the other two.

Luster, who was believed to be the father of Karcher's unborn son, has told police that he loved Karcher, said his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Robert Foreman.

Luster and Karcher frequently drank alcohol and smoked crack together. Borkowski described her as having "a profound drug and alcohol problem."

On Jan. 27 of last year, the Luster-Karcher relationship hit an impasse, with her being frustrated that he had not divorced his wife while Luster suspected her of fooling around with yet another man.

The two argued that night outside her apartment. She drove off, leaving Luster standing there.

Luster went into the apartment, where Bell was sleeping, took the keys to a company car Bell had obtained and Bell's cell phone, and followed Karcher until she and another man arrived at the Chez Lounge, a bar that since has been forced to close in Moon.

After a confrontation in the parking lot, Luster drove away with Karcher. He insisted that they go to a small apartment she had rented for them in Carnegie.

As they drove, Karcher repeatedly resisted him. She used her own cell phone to call 911 several times, Borkowski said. Somehow, the other cell phone was dialed into the emergency center and recorded the couple's fight as they rode along the Parkway.

When the car was recovered, police found blood inside.

Foreman told the jury that the blood came from Karcher striking her head on the dashboard after she reached over and slammed the car's gearshift into park.

Foreman said evidence indicates that Karcher was in control of enough of her faculties that she exited the vehicle, which was not moving at the time, and ran.

O'Toole recessed the trial after yesterday's opening statements. Testimony will begin today.

First Published: March 16, 2004, 5:00 a.m.