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November 19, 2009

Two charged in alleged crash cover-up

By Patrick Cooley

Two men are accused of covering up a crash that left a Mercer County school teacher and coach paralyzed.

Jason Robert Lane, 27, of New Castle-Mercer Road, New Wilmington, and Seth Charles Bolyard, 22, of Mercer were arrested early Saturday. Police say that after the Feb. 21 accident, the two reported that Brett Cox, 26, of Wilmington Township, Mercer County, had fallen down icy steps.

Lane, who is charged with aggravated assault by vehicle while driving, drunken driving, reckless endangering, obstruction of justice, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence and 11 summary violations, was at his mother’s residence in New Wilmington. Bolyard, who is charged with reckless endangering, obstruction of justice, tampering with evidence, intimidation of victims and an alcohol violation, was at his grandparent’s house in Mercer.

One other person, Katey L. Hulling, 22, of New Castle, was charged with reckless endangering and obstruction of justice, but has not been taken into custody.

According to police reports, Lane was driving Cox, a civics and history teacher and basketball coach at Lakeview Middle School, along Courtney Road in Findley Township on Feb. 21 after the two had gone bar-hopping.

The car crashed around 3 a.m., reports say, and Cox was paralyzed as a result of the injuries he received. When Lane and Bolyard, who was also in the car, reported the incident, they said Cox had slipped on an icy staircase.

Cox told police that the crash had knocked him unconscious, and he woke up on a couch in Lane’s apartment.

Bolyard allegedly told Cox, “You need to understand Brett, that Jason’s life will be over because of this,” and then said that because Cox was a teacher, this (bar hopping) would not look good for him.

Cox told police that he went along with the icy staircase story because he thought that Bolyard and Lane wouldn’t call 911 if he didn’t.

Four days later, he told police that he had lied to protect his friends.

Police reports say that Lane and Bolyard used a tractor owned by one of Lane’s cousins to pull the wrecked car from the scene of the crash.

Police said the pair towed it to a barn at 479 New Castle-Mercer Road, where Lane’s mother lives. Police found it covered by a blue tarp.

Both men were released from the Mercer County Jail after posting bond.

Now a paraplegic, Cox is still working as a teacher at Lakeview, according to Lakeview Superintendent Frank McClard.

He has not been charged as a result of the incident.

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