JOKER's blog: "~R.I.P~ CHRIS"

E-Mail News Alerts Get breaking news and daily headlines. Browse all e-mail newsletters Related To Story Video: Police: Hempfield Driver Hits, Kills Man After Day Of Drinking Police: Hempfield Driver Hits, Kills Man After Day Of Shots, Beers Young Grapeville Man Struck While Pushing Bike On Route 30 POSTED: 6:34 am EDT April 7, 2008 UPDATED: 1:50 pm EDT April 9, 2008 HEMPFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Family and friends are coping with a young Grapeville man's hit-and-run death, which state police said came at the hands of a drunken driver in Hempfield Township. Matthew Snyder, of North Huntingdon, drank at least 10 shots and as many as 20 beers before taking the wheel of the vehicle that police say hit Christopher Allen Hays on Route 30 early Monday, according to police. "Now that he's gone, it's going to be so hard," said Jessica McFadden, 16, who had been dating Hays, 18, for more than a year. "He was the best boyfriend I ever had, and I wish he would come back." Hays was on his way home from work at a local Taco Bell restaurant, pushing his bicycle between the striping on the edge of the road and a raised concrete curb, when he was struck by a vehicle heading west toward Jeannette, police said. Investigators said they got a phone tip from a man who had seen a white sport utility vehicle with front-end damage getting off Route 30 in Irwin shortly after 2 a.m. Monday. Police said they canvassed that general area until spotting a matching vehicle with damage parked in the driveway of a home. When they went to the door, they found the 27-year-old Snyder and questioned him. Snyder said he had been drinking for several hours earlier in the day, and he was driving near Home Depot in Hempfield when he reached for a cigarette lighter, took his eyes off the road, felt the vehicle hit something and kept going, according to police. "They did really good," said Hays' brother, Collin. "I was pretty impressed that they found him in two days, a day and a half." Police also interviewed Robert Smith, who told them that he was with Snyder while they were drinking at Pluma in Irwin and at Tom's Bar in Greensburg. Smith said that Snyder drank five shots of liquor and 10 bottles of beer at each of the two bars, according to police. "Prior to Synder departing, Smith offered for Snyder to stay at his apartment, which is attached to Tom's Bar. Smith indicated that Snyder was visibly intoxicated and should not have been driving. Snyder declined Smith's offer and headed home," according to the criminal complaint. On Tuesday afternoon, police charged Snyder with homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence. He was released on $25,000 unsecured bond, pending a preliminary hearing next week. Snyder is "a very decent fellow, and feels horrible," according to defense attorney Bob Johnston. "He's promised to appear for all the hearings, he has no prior criminal record, he's never been in trouble before and has been cooperative in the investigation," Johnston said. Collin Hays said the restaurant where his brother worked is giving the family his paycheck and some extra money to help with funeral costs

State police are investigating a fatal hit-and-run crash early Monday in which the driver struck an 18-year-old man who was walking west while pushing his bike on Route 30 in Hempfield. Police said Christopher Allen Hays, 18, of Grapeville died at the scene of the crash near the Hempfield Pointe shopping plaza, Westmoreland County Deputy Coroner Dennis Johns said in a news release. Hays was walking with a friend between the fog line and a raised concrete curb, police said, when a white vehicle went off the road near the Route 30 intersection with Hempfield Pointe and struck Hays at 2:15 a.m. Hays was thrown onto a grass shoulder. The investigating trooper, Matthew G. Hartman, said in a news release that the vehicle might be a white sport utility vehicle, perhaps a newer-model Dodge Durango or something similar.

Matthew Richard Snyder allegedly drank as many as 20 beers and 10 shots of alcohol in 11 hours Sunday and early Monday before heading home in his 1998 Jeep Cherokee, striking and killing a pedestrian along Route 30. Snyder hung his head and wiped away tears as he was charged Tuesday afternoon with allegedly hitting and killing 18-year-old Christopher Allen Hays of Grapeville, who was pushing a bicycle near the Taco Bell restaurant where he worked in Hempfield early Monday when he was struck. The 26-year-old North Huntingdon man was arraigned by Hempfield District Judge Mark Mansour on charges of homicide by vehicle, homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, accidents involving death or personal injury, driving under the influence, duty to give information and render aid, immediate notice of accident to police, careless driving and driving on the roadways laned for traffic. According to the criminal complaint, Snyder drank the alcohol at two bars in Irwin and Greensburg.

A good Samaritan who tipped state police after a hit-and-run crash killed a pedestrian in Hempfield early Monday gave investigators the boost they needed to apprehend a suspect within 25 hours, state police said. "Probably without that telephone call, we could have been stuck. But this good Samaritan, who didn't see the accident but noticed the damage to the vehicle, followed him for a little bit until he left Route 30, and then telephoned us with information later that morning, giving us an important lead," Trooper John Fisanich said at a news conference Wednesday. On Tuesday, state police in Greensburg charged Matthew Richard Snyder, 26, of North Huntingdon with homicide by vehicle, driving under the influence of alcohol, failing to render aid and careless driving. He is accused in the 2:15 a.m. crash that killed Christopher Allen Hays, 18, of Grapeville. Hays was pushing a bicycle off the westbound lanes of Route 30, near Taco Bell, when he was struck. The victim just completed a shift at Taco Bell.

Christopher A. Hays Greensburg Christopher A. Hays, 18, of Greensburg, died Monday, April 7, 2008. He was born June 29, 1989, in Pittsburgh, a son of Mark A. Hays, of Greensburg, and Deann Winkler Hays, of Grapeville. He is also survived by two brothers, Collin M. and Michael D. Hays, of Greensburg; his grandparents, Dennis and Jayme Hays, of Greensburg, and Ralph and Darlene Winkler, of Irwin; two uncles, Dennis Hays Jr., of Greensburg, and Steve Winkler and wife, Sheri, of Irwin; an aunt, Darcy Winkler, of Irwin; and several cousins. He is also survived by his girlfriend, Jessie McFadden, and her mother, Deanna McFadden, of Grapeville. Family and friends will be received from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the BARNHART FUNERAL HOME, 505 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg. Services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in the funeral home. Interment will follow in Hillview Cemetery, Greensburg. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations payable to The Christopher Hays Memorial Fund may be sent to the funeral home or taken to any First Commonwealth Bank branch

on april 7th 2008 Christopher allen Hayes was killed by a drunk driver. At this time that guy is out of jail and had enough nerves to show up at the funeral. I am afraid to say it but I cant forgive him for it. His family have forgave him and he is paying for all the funeral procedures but that just aint enough. He was gonna be a dad in a few months and this guy just dont care it seems. I feel like the lord took my best friend from me and I think they both need to pay.