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Mar 9, 2009 10:22 pm US/Eastern
Mechanic Charged In Fatal School Van Crash
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) ―
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The accident happened last September.
KDKA
A Pittsburgh man is facing charges in connection with a fatal school van accident last September in Brookline which claimed the life of a classroom aide.
Mark Fabian faces charges including one count of involuntary manslaughter, and four counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Colleen Visconi, 53, of Bellevue, died about a week after the crash from her injuries. At the time of the accident, Visconti, and two autistic children were passengers in the van operated by A-1 Transit.
Fabian worked for A-1 Transit and investigators now say he lied when he said he inspected the brakes prior to the accident.
In fact, police sources tell KDKA that there's doubt as to whether the brakes were ever inspected at all and the van may not have been test driven, as A-1 had claimed soon after the crash on Dunster Avenue last September 3.
Carla Beatty, who lives around the corner from the accident, and helped rescue the victims the day of the crash, said that she wasn't surprised by the mechanic's arrest.
She said the van driver kept telling her that afternoon that she came down a steep incline and had no brakes -- and she was told earlier that same day that someone checked the brakes and they were OK.
Fabian is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing Thursday.
KDKA tried to get reaction to Fabian's arrest from A-1 Transit, but, no one returned our repeated calls.
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