BRIDGEWATER TOWNSHIP -- Ethan Schumacher of Montrose was charged Wednesday with aggravated assault while DUI, speeding, reckless endangerment and more in connection with a crash last year that seriously injuring a traffic flagger.
On November 9, 2015, he was driving on Route 29 and Lake Avenue in Bridgewater Township when police and witnesses say Schumacher hit a traffic flagger with his vehicle, causing serious injuries.
It's a morning many who live in the area won't soon forget.
“I remember there being a lot of police cars and a lot of hub bub in the morning when I got ready for work. Of course I had no idea what was going on,” said Jay Reimel, who lives near the crash site in Bridgewater Township.
Several witnesses told state police they saw Schumacher speeding before the crash, at one point, crossing over a double yellow line to pass vehicles.
Police say Schumacher told them the sun was in his eyes when he hit the victim.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to anyone who was injured as a result of this accident, and like I said, this is an accident. There's no intent to harm,” said Daniel Mulhern, Schumacher’s defense attorney.
Investigators say they found narcotics and marijuana in Schumacher's blood.
"When you see road construction, you should slow down to 30 miles an hour, and how fast he was going, I have no idea, but it was, when I heard, it was in excess of 50 miles an hour. That's ridiculous,” said Pat Warner of Factoryville.
The flagger who was hit was seriously injured.
According to court papers, he broke bones in his legs, the lower left leg had to be amputated. He lost a great deal of blood and broke ribs, fractured his skull, and injured his back.
“It's certainly been a long while. It was pretty cut and dried that he had, that he was at fault, so it took a long while to get to that point. He should have something for sure,” said Reimel.
Schumacher is free on $75,000 bail and is due back in court next month.
