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Police: Driver who injured couple, newborn baby in wrong-lane crash was texting

PITTSBURGH — Charges have been filed in an accident that injured a family headed home from a hospital after the birth of their son. According to police, the driver who struck their vehicle was texting at the time of the crash.

Richard Lee Hauschel II is facing 10 criminal counts including aggravated assault by a vehicle, recklessly endangering another person and prohibited text-based communications.

Hauschel is accused of crossing the center line on the Liberty Bridge on April 4, hitting another car head-on.

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Brandon and Maureen Ciampaglia and their 4-day-old son were in that vehicle, on their way home from Magee Women’s Hospital.

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According to a criminal complaint, Brandon Ciampaglia suffered fractured ribs, a fractured sternum, a fractured spine and fractured collar bones. His wife, Maureen, suffered fractured ribs, fractured shoulders, a fractured spine and ruptured spleen. Their son suffered a fractured skull, lacerated liver and brain bleed.

All three were hospitalized but are expected to survive.

Hauschel was also hospitalized after the crash with moderate injuries.

According to a criminal complaint, when investigators spoke to Hauschel in the hospital, he told them he could not remember how the crash occurred. In that same criminal complaint, police say a search warrant showed Hauschel, "Was receiving and/ or sending text messages in the time leading up to the crash while driving on the bridge."

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Police also determined Hauschel was speeding, going 14 miles over the speed limit and made no attempt to stop.

Investigators wrote in the criminal complaint that, "The vehicle was accelerating during the entire five seconds pre-crash. At no time were the brakes activated."

A third driver was also injured in the crash.

 

Cox Media Group

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