Update:
On Wednesday, Connor McNicholas pleaded not guilty
after police charged him with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence
in the Aug. 6 crash that killed two teens.
In all, McNicholas faces 20
charges. Details here.
Earlier:
It is now
clear from news accounts that the 19-year-old at the wheel at the time of a
one-car crash that killed two teens early Saturday
morning was a stand-out on the Temple golf team, Connor McNicholas.
According
to news
and police reports, McNicholas’ 2007 Honda
Civic was traveling at a high rate of speed on Witmer
Road in Horsham when it hit a curb, crashed into several trees, and came rest
in the yard of a home.
In
addition to McNicholas, four other teens were
in the car, police said. Edward Taylor Coombs, 19, of Horsham,
and Robert Walker Nagle, 19, of Ambler, were pronounced dead at
the scene.
Three
others in the car – McNicholas, of Ambler,
Darryl Neville Jr., 18, of Darby, and Timothy Kurpiel, 19, of Horsham, where taken to Abington
Memorial Hospital.
One of
the surviving passengers told police that the car was traveling at 99 miles per
hour moments before the crash. The passenger also told police that the
teens had been at a party earlier in the evening, where they all had been
drinking.
The Inquirer
reported
Wednesday that blood was drawn from McNicholas
and that police are awaiting the results of toxicology reports to decide
whether to file criminal charges.
McNicholas, a graduate of Hatboro-Horsham High School, was a freshman on the Temple golf team this past year,
where he was off to a strong start to his collegiate career. Here is a video of McNicholas’ swing made when he was a senior
in high school.
In April,
he was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the
Week. In May, McNicholas was named
to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference
team.
Last
month, McNicholas, whose home course is Commonwealth
National GC, shot 77-72 to finished tied for 15th in the prestigious 107th Philadelphia Open, won by Temple
teammate Andrew Mason. Only days before the crash, McNicholas had attempted to qualify for the U.S. Amateur.
