Young Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty in Tragic Accident Case
In an extremely tragic Pennsylvania accident case that has recently come to trial, two young girls were sadly killed while riding in the car of a teenage acquaintance.
Driver Thomas Kocon was driving his SUV about 35 miles northwest of Philadelphia when it flipped over on Route 100 in December of 2009. Kocon, of North Coventry Township, was only 18 years old at the time of the crash.
The many young passengers in the vehicle at the time suffered unfortunate fates. Sixteen-year-old Andrea Antonio Harris and 15-year-old Breanne Brothers were killed in the crash while three other young girls were injured.
Charges in this case, including homicide by vehicle and recklessly endangering people, were filed against driver Thomas Kocon. Kocon recently pleaded guilty to the charges, entering the plea in late November 2010 in Montgomery, Pennsylvania.
Kocon’s defense attoney has noted that his client is “completely devastated.” The Mercury of Pottstown reports that Judge Joseph Smyth has deferred sentencing pending a background check on Kocon.
Similar cases, in which young, inexperienced drivers inadvertently injure or kill passengers, happen around Philadelphia as well as all over the country. In an effort to prevent such tragedies, so-called “Cinderella laws” have been instituted by some states in order to limit the number of passengers young drivers are allowed to transport in their vehicles at one time.
These cases can be absolutely emotionally taxing for both the families of the defendants as well as for the victims, as individuals struggle to be sure to obtain what they are entitled to, while making sense of and grieving over the accident. It’s always important to contact a Philadelphia injury attorney or a Philadelphia accident attorney who can help throughout the entire process.
