Accident – death – Obituary News :

Two Men Charged in Connection to High School Cheerleader’s death in School Van Crash

ALLEGHENY COUNTY, Pa. — In a tragic incident, a high school cheerleader lost her life in a school van crash that occurred on September 20. Samantha Kalkbrenner, a 15-year-old student, was killed in the accident, and now two men are facing charges in connection to her death.

Court documents have revealed that Andrew Neil Voigt, 37, and William R. Soliday, 43, have been charged for their involvement in the crash. According to the allegations, both men were racing, which ultimately led to the fatal collision.

Samantha’s mother, while expressing relief that the legal process has begun, declined to provide further comments at this time.

Surveillance footage obtained by the Allegheny County police revealed that the school van had checked for oncoming traffic before making a left-hand turn from 3rd Street onto Richland Avenue. However, while in the intersection, the van was struck by a speeding Volkswagen Jetta GTI. Additional footage also showed a Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk passing through the intersection shortly after the crash.

Witnesses at the scene reported that both the Volkswagen and the Jeep were traveling at high speeds prior to the collision. The police later identified Soliday as the driver of the Jeep and Voigt as the driver of the Volkswagen. Astonishingly, speeds exceeding 100 mph were recorded inside the Volkswagen leading up to the crash.

Both Soliday and Voigt, who worked at a business near the crash site, were arrested on Wednesday. Soliday is now facing multiple felony charges, including third-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and homicide by vehicle. On the other hand, Voigt is facing a single felony count of accidents involving death or personal injury.

The tragedy has left the community mourning the loss of Samantha Kalkbrenner, who was remembered by Serra Catholic High School as the “heart of her class.” The school is devastated by the incident, and efforts are being made to support the grieving family.

Following the crash, authorities have announced that safety changes will be implemented at the Dravosburg intersection to prevent similar accidents in the future.

As the legal proceedings continue, Samantha’s family and the community hope for justice to be served and for measures to be taken to prevent such tragic incidents from occurring again.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group

.