The Downingtown West High School student who reportedly drove his mother’s car, with only a learner’s permit, and crashed it into two trees while traveling at excessive speeds, turned himself into police Monday on felony charges of homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter, among others.
The District Attorney’s Office and local police declined to release the juvenile’s name because of his age.
However, sources wishing to remain anonymous confirmed the boy’s identification as Andrew Hiller.
Hiller was detained on Monday and reportedly stipulated to all of the facts brought forth by Assistant District Attorney Renee D. Merion at his juvenile intake hearing Tuesday.
Calls to the District Attorney’s Office Tuesday were not immediately returned.
But the Brandywine Regional Police Department said that the boy will be tried as a juvenile.
Police Chief Mark Kocsi said that the family of Brian D. Houshower, the 16-year-old who was thrown from the vehicle and killed, did not wish to pursue the charges under the adult system.
“You try to stick with the pretense for juveniles that your goal is for rehabilitation,” said Kocsi. “But when you have a situation as grave as this, it’s hard not to want to throw the book at them.”
Historically in the county, the juvenile system lands offenders in either a juvenile facility or with probation, he explained.
“His actions were totally irresponsible, and unfortunately for him, he now has to live with the consequences of his bad choices,” Kocsi said. “This is something that’s going to affect people for a long time. The memorial at the site, which is growing daily, is a reminder of that.”
Hiller’s attorney, Dawson R. Muth, said he is looking forward to getting the charges resolved as quickly as possible.
“We don’t want to diminish the seriousness of the event. Andrew is incredibly remorseful and very, very sad at the loss of his friend,” Muth said. “In addition to losing his friend and having to live with that on a daily basis, he has to face these charges as well.”
Those charges include one count each of aggravated assault, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, and accidents involving personal injury or death while not properly licensed, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and numerous traffic violations including reckless driving and driving at unsafe speeds.
Police estimate that Hiller was driving at least 80 mph when he lost control of his vehicle on Buck Road, near North Buck Road, and it spun airborne, hitting two trees and ejecting Houshower from the front passenger seat. Police said the car traveled out of control for almost 500 feet down the country road before coming to final rest. Hiller and the two rear passengers, also 16-year-old Downingtown West students he had reportedly offered to drive home, did not suffer serious injuries.
Police said they believe that Hiller came into possession of the keys to his mother’s car after school on Nov. 10 and took the car while waiting for her to finish work at the middle school.
Police also said they believe that Hiller was traveling at such excessive speeds in an effort to return before his mother finished work.
“It was a tragic accident,” Muth said. “Obviously, he never intended for anything like this to happen.”
More than 400 friends and family attended Houshower’s funeral at the Hopewell Methodist Church on Nov. 14.