Driver was speeding, distracted when he struck, killed road worker in Moon, police say

Moon Township Police have filed homicide charges against the man accused of hitting and killing a tree-trimming worker last year.

Private First Class Tyler Drake, 24, was working for Richardson Tree and Landscape Company in November, cutting back the vegetation along a stretch of University Boulevard to make it safer.

Police charged Hampartsoum Nazarian, 65, with Drake’s death, saying he was aggressively speeding and trying to pass another car in the work zone.

Police say Nazarian passed four road signs warning of the work zone ahead and that Drake was behind orange cones when he was hit.

His father, David Drake, is hoping by hearing his son’s story, drivers will slow down. He said this time of year is hard because he’d normally be getting ready to spend time hunting with his son.

“This time of the year, we did a lot of hunting, sitting in a tree stand, that’s how I remember him,” David said.

Captain Douglas Ogden, with Moon Township Police, spoke to Channel 11 after the incident occurred.

“He was on the roadway. He was in the work zone. The cones were there to protect him. The signs were put up to protect him, but in this case, they did not,” Ogden said.

Police say Nazarian and another driver were both aggressively driving, with Nazarian trying to pass the other driver. According to witnesses, he and another driver were “jockeying for position” before the work zone, and Nazarian failed to recognize and yield to six signs indicating road work and a lane closure ahead, the complaint states. The complaint says the incident was caught by nearby cameras and they estimate he was going 74 miles per hour when he saw Drake and hit the brakes a second before impact.

John Richardson with Richardson Tree and Landscape Company said Tyler was a wonderful, caring person and employee. He said Drake was one of the most respected and patriotic people at the company.

Drake’s father agrees, adding he has already forgiven the driver. He tells Channel 11 the man didn’t set out to hurt his son that day.

“I just feel bad for the guy. Nobody wins...unless somebody slows down the next time,” David said.

Nazarian is expected to turn himself in on Thursday. He is charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and several traffic violations.

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