A suspended driver who allegedly crashed a vehicle last July, killing the passenger, has been charged.

Butler Township Police filed charges Sunday against David M. Tucker, 42, of Lyndora. The most serious charge is a felony for being an unlicensed driver in an accident involving the death of another person.

Tucker has also been charged with summary traffic violations related to the July 25 crash on Main Street in Lyndora that killed James R. Ross Jr., 56, of Butler.

According to charging documents, police responded to the single-vehicle crash around 1:25 p.m. They found Tucker in the driver's seat of a 2000 Ford Ranger. Ross was in the passenger seat.

“Ross sustained fatal injuries due to the collision and was pronounced dead on scene,” the investigating officer said in the affidavit.

An obituary for Ross ran in the Butler Eagle July 30. He is described as a stepfather to three and an uncle of four.

Police said Tucker was also injured in the crash and flown by medical helicopter to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.

Police said neither man was wearing a seat belt at the time. Tucker was pulled from the vehicle by a bystander.

“Tucker said the brakes gave out, and he did not want to hit any other vehicles as he came down the hill,” police said.

State police later conducted a reconstruction of the crash, which did not confirm or disprove Tucker's story.

“The inspection on the vehicle showed that it had been inspected on July 20, 2020,” police said. “No brake fluid was observed on the roadway approaching the accident scene.”

Police said they also talked with witnesses at the scene who described the vehicle coming down Main Street hill, failing to stop at a sign and crashing into the wall.

“Both witnesses stated they did not see brake lights, but could not be 100% for sure if there were any,” police said.

A preliminary hearing is pending arraignment, which has yet to be scheduled, but will be with District Judge Kevin O'Donnell.