Motorist faces felony charges in crash
Numerous tattoos on Matthew Hamersley’s face and in his hairline make him a fairly recognizable guy.
But by coincidence, a witness who says he saw Hamersley crawl out the driver’s side window of a crashed car — abandoning a critically injured passenger — had met the defendant only weeks before and recognized him.
Hamersley, who has told investigators he wasn’t the driver, had a hearing Thursday before District Judge Kevin O’Donnell.
The judge, after hearing from three prosecution witnesses, chose to hold all the charges against Hamersley, 31, for court: including felony counts of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault by vehicle and accidents resulting in injury.
Hamersley, who did not speak during the hearing, remains jailed on this case as well as for a pending case involving drug allegations and an alleged federal parole violation.
“The allegations against Mr. Hamersley are very serious and include felony counts,” said Patrick Casey, the defendant’s lawyer. “We are going to have to look at the discovery in both the criminal cases.”
The wreck in question occurred around 12:45 a.m. March 8 on Mercer Road.
Butler resident Christopher Coyle testified during the hearing that he was driving on the road when he saw the car in question had broad sided a utility pole so violently “the telephone pole was practically in the seat next to the passenger.”
The man in the front passenger’s seat, later identified as 27-year-old Keith Reges of Butler, was described by investigators as unconscious and “near death.” He suffered bleeding on his brain and multiple facial and pelvic fractures, according to court documents.
Coyle, who called 911 when he saw the extent of the collision, said he watched Hamersley climb out of the car’s broken driver’s side window, then ask him for a ride before walking away from the scene.
Investigators testified that two other men were in the car at the time of the crash but not immediately interviewed: They said Adam M. Spinner, 25, wasn’t interviewed because he fled the scene. And investigators spoke to 23-year-old Nick Defelice but he was too intoxicated to say anything substantial.
Police said they found Hamersley a short time later walking on Mercer Road, smelling like alcohol.
Hamersley allegedly refused to take a blood test and denied driving the wrecked vehicle. Instead, an officer testified that Hamersley gave two accounts: one that he was near the crash when it occurred and another that he was in the vehicle when it crashed.
But Coyle said Hamersley immediately after the wreck got close enough to touch him, and he recognized him.
A notary, Coyle said weeks earlier Hamersley came to him wishing to sell a car but the paperwork could not be processed because Hamersley did not have a valid identification. Then, a few days later, Hamersley returned to Coyle with a valid identification and the paperwork was processed.
Additionally, Hamersley is accused of possessing suspected marijuana and pills of methylphenidate, also known as Ritalin, and Adderall, both prescription drugs used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
And according to court records, when township police and federal marshals went to arrest Hamersley on these charges, he was found hiding in a bathroom and had to be forcibly removed with the assistance of a K-9 officer. At that time, officers allegedly retrieved 10 stamp bags of suspected heroin that were on the bathroom floor next to Hamersley.
The defendant faces felony drug charges in that case, and he is jailed on the federal parole violation.
That case stems from the defendant’s conviction in U.S. District Court for stealing more than 100 pistols, revolvers and rifles during a burglary at the McCrea Gun Shop in Clearfield Township in 2007.
