Case proceeds against Hempfield man charged in crash that killed Derry woman

Apr. 28—The case against a Hempfield man accused of being drunk and high when he was involved in a 2022 crash that killed a Derry Borough woman will proceed to court.

Heath B. Richards, 29, is charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, accidents involving death while not licensed, driving without a license and related offenses. The charges were held for court this week.

State police said Richards was impaired during the June 11 crash that killed 61-year-old Karen L. Botteicher.

Troopers were at a home on Hickory Drive around 12:20 a.m. June 11 for an unrelated incident when they heard a vehicle crash nearby. They found a two-vehicle collision on nearby Route 130, between East Pittsburgh Street and Route 30, not far from the border with Greensburg. Police said Botteicher was driving a GMC Envoy on Route 130 when a Ford F-350 pickup truck crossed the center line and the two collided head-on.

Richards told police he was headed home from work and that he had consumed alcohol prior to driving. A blood test showed that his blood-alcohol content was .104% and that he had marijuana in his system, according to court papers. The legal limit to drive in Pennsylvania is .08%.

Richards' drivers license had been suspended since February 2020, police said. It was unclear from court records the reason for the license suspension. Richards is scheduled for formal arraignment in June.

Defense attorney Phil DiLucente said the case is "extremely tragic."

"We are hopeful that it can be resolved in an amicable way," he said.

Botteicher had worked at Excela Health Latrobe Hospital as a cardiac monitor, according to her obituary. She had survived cancer and was active with the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.

Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .