Driver Charged In Crash That Killed Spring-Ford High School Grad

NORTH COVENTRY TOWNSHIP, PA — The driver has been charged with homicide in a fatal accident that killed Spring-Ford High School graduate and wrestler Louis Carbajal and that injured two other young men in August.

North Coventry Township police said Connor Quinn, 18, had a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.176 percent, which is more than twice the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He has been charged with Homicide by Vehicle while Driving Under the Influence.

The police report alleges Quinn, a recent Owen J. Roberts High School graduate, was driving very fast and he recklessly endangered the lives of his passengers. In addition to the felony of Homicide by Vehicle, he is charged with two counts of Aggravated Assault by Vehicle while DUI. Also in the car at the time were Benjamin Bulich, 18, of Spring City, and Daniel Benasutti, 18, of Pottstown. The young men were friends.

The one-vehicle crash that took the life of 18-year-old Carbajal happened at 5:40 a.m. on Aug. 10. in the 1200 block of S. Hanover Street in North Coventry Township.

Quinn was driving a black Acura fast enough that while negotiating a left curve in the road, he overcorrected his steering and put the car into a counter-clockwise slide. The Acura skidded across the lane, then back into the west side of the roadway before crashing into a utility pole on the driver's side, according to the Chester County Serious Crash Accident Team (SCAT), which reconstructed what had happened on Aug. 10.

SCAT said the car split in the middle from the impact, and the front of the Acura kept moving north and west through small trees and shrubs coming to rest facing north against a support wire of another utility pole.

The rear section of the Acura traveled north and east, crossing over both lanes of S. Hanover Street, coming to rest in the driveway of 1214 S. Hanover St., according to SCAT's report.

The driver's side rear seat passenger was not wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle as it split in two. Based on tire evidence found at the scene, SCAT determined that the Acura was traveling at a "high rate of speed at the onset of the yaw (slide) marks."

When police arrived, Quinn, of Pottstown, was pinned behind the steering wheel of the severely damaged car. A fire rescue team had to extricate him, police said.

Passenger Benjamin Bulich, 18, of Spring City, was sitting by the rear section of the vehicle when emergency responders arrived and Carbajal was lying on the ground unresponsive, police said.

Police administered first aid to Carbajal until relieved by Goodwill Ambulance Medics. Police said they were told that a third passenger, Daniel Benasutti, 18, of Pottstown, had left the scene and had been taken to Pottstown Hospital Tower Health by a third party.

The three occupants at the crash scene were rushed to the Reading Hospital Trauma Center with serious injuries. Police said alcoholic drink containers were found in the Acura and that Quinn admitted that he had been drinking alcohol.

Police reported they obtained search warrants to inspect the Acura and to obtain the vehicle occupants' medical records, as well as blood samples taken from Quinn for toxicology analysis.

Berks County Coroner's Office advised police that Carbajal died on Aug. 17 due to injuries sustained from the Aug. 10 vehicle crash. A review of the medical records indicated that all of the vehicle occupants, who are all under the age of 21, had been drinking alcohol the crash.

On Sept. 24, police received a toxicology report showing Quinn's BAC was 0.176 percent at the time of the blood draw. North Coventry Township Police on Nov. 5 brought Quinn into custody without incident.

Quinn's charges are: Homicide by Vehicle While DUI, Aggravated Assault by Vehicle While DUI, Homicide by Vehicle, Involuntary Manslaughter, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, DUI: Minor, Reckless Driving, Careless Driving-Unintentional Death, Careless Driving-Serious Bodily Injury, and Driving at Safe Speed.

District Court Justice John Hipple set Quinn's bail at $100,000.

The two passengers in the vehicle were cited for Transportation of Liquor or malt or Brewed Beverage.

Cabajal was a recent Spring-Ford High School graduate and wrestler who had been planning to attend Kutztown University this fall to major in special education. The other three young men involved in the crash were recent graduates of Owen J. Roberts High School.

Quinn and Carbajal were champion high school wrestlers. Carbajal wrestled on the Spring-Ford team in the 195 and 220-pound weight classes, earning a 30-15 record last season. In District 1-AAA North and South East AAA Regional tournaments, he was runner-up in the 195 weight class.

"Louie was known as a vibrant, strong, loving, and joyful young man. He was hardworking and never shied away from a challenge, both in the classroom and on the wrestling mat," Spring-Ford High School said in a statement at the time of his death.

The GoFundMe pages were established after the accident to help the Cabajal family. They are still accessible here and here.

Read the Aug. 18 Patch story about Louis Carbajal here.