Driver Charged With Homicide In Nockamixon Crash That Killed 3

BEDMINSTER, PA — Newly-filed charges allege that a 26-year-old driver was responsible for a car crash that killed three outside Nockamixon State Park in June, according to reports.

Howard T. Sinclair of Ossining, New York was arraigned Monday on three counts of homicide by vehicle as well as three counts each of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, the Bucks County Courier Times said.

Sinclair was himself seriously injured in the head-on collision on Route 563 around 11:40 p.m. June 4. According to investigators, Sinclair was driving southbound at around 62 miles per hour in his Chevy Equinox when he crossed the double-yellow line over into the northbound lane, striking a Lexus.

At the time of the crash, the roadway was dark without streetlights and there were no other adverse conditions to report, police said.

The Lexus caught fire immediately after the collision, with flames spreading to the other car, too. Both driver and passenger in the Lexus were found dead at the scene.

That driver was 25-year-old Michael Blackmon of Ottsville, and his passenger was 26-year-old Nicholas Barruzza of Quakertown. According to their obituaries, both Blackmon and Barruzza loved to fish, ride ATVs, and spend time outdoors.

A passenger in Sinclair's car, 24-year-old Samantha Garcia of Rockaway, New Jersey, also died at the scene. Garcia was a devoted single mother who loved makeup art and animals, according to a fundraiser for her funeral expenses.

Sinclair was life-flighted to Thomas Jefferson Hospital in Philadelphia. A subsequent toxicology report showed small amounts of marijuana in his system at the time of the crash, according to the Courier Times.

His attorney told the paper that his client denies any wrongdoing, though he acknowledges the tragedy of the accident and lives lost.

Sinclair's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 27.

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