LANCASTER COUNTY, Pa. (WHTM)– A Maryland man was arrested Thursday for homicide by vehicle stemming from a fatal 2022 Christmas Day crash in Lancaster County.

According to the charges filed by State Police in Schuylkill, David Whisman, 42, allegedly admitted to smoking fentanyl before a head-on crash that took the life of Frank Cascarilla.

Medical records showed Troopers that there was Fentanyl, Xylazine, and other drugs in Whisman’s system during the crash, State Police said.

2021 Park City Mall shooter pleads guilty to 60 charges

Troopers got to the crash scene at the intersection of PA-272 and Truce Road in Providence Township around 5:30 p.m. and saw a Nissan Sentra and Honda Odyssey minivan both with heavy front-end damage.

Close

Thanks for signing up!

Watch for us in your inbox.

Subscribe Now

WHTM Morning Weather

Whisman, the driver of the Nissan, was trapped in his vehicle due to the wreckage and was going in and out of consciousness. Troopers could not open either door so both the passenger and driver side windows were broken to pull him out from the wreckage, the criminal complaint shows.

Whisman was then rushed to the hospital, Troopers said he was bloody and had multiple cuts on his face.

There were two people in the minivan, including Cascarilla, who wanted to be checked out at the hospital because of their age. The driver of the van told State Police that they saw headlights coming right at their vehicle and they had no time to react.

On Jan. 12, Cascarilla died from his injuries at the hospital, State Police say, and the coroner’s report showed that his cause of death was from “multiple traumatic incidents due to motor vehicle accident,” the complaint states.

Pill bottles and paraphernalia containing drug residue were found in Whisman’s car at the scene. State Police said when they spoke with him at the hospital, he admitted to smoking fentanyl hours ago.

Severely neglected dogs seized by Lancaster County authorities, two charged

A crash reconstruction report also showed Troopers that Whisman left his original lane of travel before the crash, Troopers noted.

Whisman faces multiple charges that include felony counts of homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, and aggravated assault by vehicle. He also faces multiple misdemeanor DUI charges.

Whisman is locked up in Lancaster County Prison with bail set at $125,000 and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for March 6.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to ABC27.