Police: Wilkins man was driving nearly 90 mph before fatal North Versailles crash

A Wilkins man charged with homicide by vehicle and involuntary manslaughter turned himself in at Pittsburgh Municipal Court on Friday, according to the Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office.

Aaron J. Butler, 20, of Wilkins was driving in North Versailles on April 7 when police said he struck another vehicle. The other driver, 66-year-old Tammy Chonko of Duquesne, died of her injuries shortly after the crash.

Butler was initially taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital and treated for a collapsed lung. There, he told police that Chonko’s car had begun inching into the intersection of Crooked Run Road and Fifth Avenue in North Versailles, and that he could not stop in time, according to a sworn police affidavit. He denied speeding.

Police spoke with two witnesses who were also driving at the time of the crash. Both said they saw Butler’s Pontiac Grand Am speeding and weaving in and out of traffic prior to the crash, according to court records. Investigators were also able to locate video from a nearby security camera which showed Chonko’s car turning left onto Crooked Run Road, just before Butler’s car strikes it at a high rate of speed, according to a criminal complaint.

Police said the airbag control module in Butler’s car showed it was traveling at 86 miles per hour, two seconds before the collision when the brakes were applied.

Blood collected during Butler’s hospital treatment tested positive for marijuana at the time of the crash, according to court records. He was charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence, speeding and other traffic violations.

Court records do not list an attorney for Butler, and a preliminary hearing date has not yet been set.