INDIANA, Pa. (KDKA) – An Indiana County man pleaded guilty to causing an accident that took another man’s life nearly seven years ago.

Sean Pearce, 29, was riding his bicycle in a construction zone along Route 22 in Burrell Township when he was struck and killed in July 2005.

Gregory Wisniewski Jr., 27, pleaded guilty to a charge of causing an accident involving injury or death. Two lesser charges were dropped.

The plea comes after years spent in many courtrooms.

An Indiana County judge initially threw the case out because prosecutors couldn’t prove that Pearce was alive when he was struck by Wisniewski.

A superior court panel agreed.

It was a ruling by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court in September 2011 that brought the case back to Indiana County and set new precedent for how hit-and-run cases are handled in Pennsylvania.

Wisniewski faces up to five years in prison. He’ll be sentenced in July, two days before the seventh anniversary of the crash.

RELATED LINKS
More Local News
More Indiana County News