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CHELTENHAM — A Philadelphia man is accused of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, speeding and without a license when he caused a two-vehicle crash in Cheltenham Township that killed a woman in the second vehicle, according to authorities.
Shaikan Pitts, 38, of the 1400 block of Shelmire Street, was arraigned on Tuesday, before District Court Judge James P. Gallagher, on charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance, DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, accidents involving death or personal injury while not properly licensed, speeding and reckless and careless driving in connection with the Nov. 25, 2023, crash on Old York Road that killed 33-year-old Laishah “Nala” Kendra Holloman.
Pitts remains in the county jail in lieu of $90,000 cash bail to await his April 8 preliminary hearing on the charges before District Court Judge Emmett Madden.
Pitts’ arrest was announced on Wednesday by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Cheltenham Township Police Chief John Slavin.
Holloman, who was born in Orange, N.J., was employed by Wyncote Academy as the farm manager and the educator of outdoor agriculture, according to her obituary.
The investigation began about 5:53 p.m. Nov. 25 when Cheltenham police responded to the area of Old York Road and Spring Avenue, in the Elkins Park section of the township, for a report of a vehicle crash involving a 2011 Nissan Rogue operated by Pitts and a white Ford van operated by Holloman, according to a criminal complaint filed by Cheltenham Township Police Officer Justin Sneeringer.
“The crash was reported to have an overturned vehicle, and a person trapped underneath the overturned vehicle,” Sneeringer wrote in the arrest affidavit.
Arriving officers found Holloman trapped underneath her white Ford van.
Investigators determined Pitts was traveling northbound on Old York Road “at a high rate of speed” and collided with Holloman’s van as she was exiting a private driveway, according to the criminal complaint. Holloman was attempting to enter Old York Road and proceed southbound, requiring her to cross over the northbound lanes from the private driveway she was exiting, police said.
The Nissan struck the driver’s side door of the van with such force that it caused the van to go into a spin and then overturn, police alleged.
“The violent motion” caused Holloman to be partially ejected from the driver’s side window of the van and she was entrapped between the driver’s door and the ground, Sneeringer alleged in court papers.
Holloman was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency medical responders.
Pitts remained at the scene of the crash.
The investigation determined Pitts was traveling at 69 mph in a 40 mph speed zone at the time of the crash and physical evidence showed that the Nissan “did not leave any tire marks, skid marks or any evidence of braking or evasive maneuvering,” Sneeringer alleged.
Police alleged that had Pitts been traveling at the speed limit he would have had sufficient line of sight and distance to avoid striking Holloman’s vehicle.
Officers also detected an odor of alcohol emanating from Pitts’ breath
Pitts was transported to a local hospital to be treated for unspecified injuries where he underwent blood tests.
Toxicology tests subsequently determined Pitts had a blood alcohol level of 0.135% which is more than the legal limit of 0.08%, according to the arrest affidavit. Blood tests also detected the presence of cannabinoids, the active ingredients of marijuana.
The investigation found that Pitts has never held a valid driver’s license.
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