Centre County woman headed to state prison for causing crash that killed Bellefonte man
A Centre County woman was sentenced Tuesday to at least 1 1/2 years in state prison for killing a Bellefonte man in a head-on crash while speeding and under the influence of drugs.
Meghan J. Horner, 32, of Marion Township, was sentenced by Centre County President Judge Jonathan Grine to no more than three years in prison. She was also sentenced to a year of probation.
Andrew F. Swarm, 76, was killed in the April 2023 crash. The Army veteran’s family said Tuesday that his sudden death caused “immense pain.”
“The pain of his death reverberates through our entire family. His children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren miss his guidance, his humor and his unwavering love,” the family said in a statement. “The community feels the loss as well. Andy was more than a neighbor — he was a friend, a mentor and a source of strength for many.”
Swarm was killed when Horner crossed into the northbound lane in the 1000 block of Blanchard Street, Spring Township police wrote in an affidavit of probable cause.
Horner was driving at least 57 mph in a 40 mph zone and made no attempt to brake, a state police at Rockview report found. The crash occurred near the crest of hill while it was raining and the road was wet.
She tested positive for several drugs, including the compound that gives pot its high. Investigators found multiple vaping devices and other drug paraphernalia near the crash an in her SUV, police wrote.
Defense lawyer Brian Manchester declined comment after Tuesday’s sentencing.
Swarm was taken by ambulance to UPMC Altoona. He died of a rare cervical spine injury and did not have any medical emergency prior to the crash, a forensic pathologist found.
He was remembered in his obituary as someone who “loved his community.” He was a key member of the Milesburg Lions Club and served in the Army before he was honorably discharged.
He was married for 56 years and was a father of three. His family also remembered him as gentle, steady, devoted and a man of integrity and warmth.
“He was a man who poured his heart into his family, his garden and his community,” his family said. “He loved to share the fruits of his labor, bringing his homegrown vegetables of tomatoes, cucumbers and garlic to name a few to his family and friends, always with a smile and a kind word.”
A proud Republican, Swarm’s wife said she made the agonizing decision to sell their home because she struggled with the absence of him sitting at their kitchen island watching Fox News while sipping iced tea.
Those small, everyday moments “defined the warmth of their life together.”
“The pain of losing him has been nothing short of devastating,” the family said. “They were soulmates, partners in every sense of the word. Their bond was unbreakable.”
Horner was ejected from her vehicle and was seriously injured. She also was taken by ambulance to UPMC Altoona and told the township police detective she had a broken back and neck.
She was also accused of submitting a fraudulent insurance claim after the crash. Horner told an insurance agent she hydroplaned and hit a pole in a single-vehicle crash, police wrote. Her claim was denied.
She pleaded guilty in November to a felony count of homicide by vehicle, as well as misdemeanor counts of DUI, possession of a controlled substance and false swearing. Eleven charges were dropped.
“We will never understand why this happened or why it had to be him. But what we do know is that the world is a much darker place without him in it,” his family said. “His legacy lives on in the lives he touched and his absence has left a permanent void in our hearts.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2024 at 12:14 PM.