State police say a Fayette City man was driving 118 mph moments before he crashed into the rear of an Allenport woman’s car on Interstate 70 in Westmoreland County earlier this year, killing her after her car burst into flames. Jacob M. Posey, 22, was charged Friday with felony homicide by vehicle and several summary counts in connection with the March 16 crash in Rostraver Township that killed 25-year-old Tori Demo while she was on her way to work.
Witnesses saw Posey’s pickup truck driving erratically when he got on I-70 at the Arnold City exit and sped off heading east on the highway before striking Demo’s car about a half-mile later. The impact caused her vehicle to roll over multiple times and catch fire, police said. One witness said he saw Posey driving erratically on Harmony Church Road before entering the highway and quickly accelerating, reaching speeds of more than 100 mph, police said.
Another driver said he saw Posey’s pickup truck “flying and going way too (expletive) fast” just before he crashed into Demo’s car as she was trying to get into the right lane, according to court documents. Both witnesses tried to help Demo, who according to investigators was “alive, breathing and moaning” while seated behind the wheel, but the vehicle caught fire and they were unable to get her out of the car. Demo died at the scene from smoke inhalation and severe burns across her body, and also suffered “significant” blunt force trauma during the crash, an a.
