Homicide charges filed in car crash

EDWARDSVILLE – Charges of vehicular homicide have been filed against the driver of a car that crashed into a utility pole on Northampton Street in December, killing a Wyoming County teenager.

Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll said the charges were filed in juvenile court in connection with the Dec. 23 death of Ian Pope.

Musto Carroll declined to identify the driver because he has not yet been found delinquent – juvenile court’s equivalent of guilty – of the charge. A search warrant filed in connection with the case identified the driver as Gary Verazin II of Shavertown.

Pope, 17, of Center Moreland, was killed after the 2005 Ford Escape in which he was a passenger struck a pole near the Wilkes University athletic fields.

The search warrant affidavit, which was filed by Edwardsville Sgt. Shawn Brown so that police could inspect the car, says Verazin and his passengers, Pope and Chris Sabol of Pringle, had gotten out of Holy Redeemer High School early and were looking for some place to “snow slide” because they were bored.

One of the juveniles was aware that Northampton Street was very icy. Sabol told police Verazin was traveling “very fast” in an attempt to “snow slide” when he lost control of the car. He nearly struck a pole on the Kingston side of Northampton Street before striking the pole near the athletic field, according to the search warrant affidavit filed with District Judge Paul Roberts in Kingston.

Verazin told police he was traveling east on Northampton Street when he hit a patch of ice and lost control. He said he applied the brakes and turned the wheel to the left, but the vehicle kept sliding, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit says Brown had reason to believe Verazin was operating the vehicle in a reckless manner prior to the accident. Police wanted to inspect the car to obtain photographs, measurements and any evidence of mechanical failure.

Musto Carroll said a hearing on the case is scheduled before Judge David Lupas in June.

Lupas has wide latitude in determining what action should be taken if Verazin is found delinquent, ranging from probation to placement in a treatment program.