Sherry Bush, a 60-year-old nurse who worked for the ARC of Delaware County, was killed in March when a car travelling in the wrong lane on Rte. 10 in Hamden struck her car head-on.
Now, the driver of that car, Joshua T. Simpson of Masonville, has been arrested on a variety of charges, including manslaughter. A woman from Afton named Jamie L. Lathan, who worked with Simpson and was driving on the same road to Delhi at the time of the accident, has also been arrested. Lathan and Simpson were reportedly communicating with each other via cell phone at the moment the collision occured.
Here's the full press release from the Delaware County Sheriff's Office:
On Friday, Delaware County Sheriff's Deputies arrested a Masonville man and an Afton woman in connection with the March 24th two car motor vehicle accident in the Town of Hamden that claimed the life of 60 year old Sherry Bush of Margaretville.
Deputies arrested 26 year old Joshua T. Stimpson of Masonville on a Sealed Indictment Warrant charging him with Manslaughter in the Second Degree, a class C felony; Reckless Driving, an unclassified misdemeanor; Unlawful Possession of Marihuana; Failure to Keep Right and Improper Use of a Mobile Telephone.
Deputies also arrested 30 year old Jamie L. Lathan of Afton on a Sealed Indictment Warrant charging her with Reckless Driving and Improper Use of a Mobile Telephone.
Investigation of that accident established that Stimpson was driving north on State Route 10 when he attempted to pass another northbound vehicle, in a no passing zone, and struck a southbound vehicle being driven by Bush, causing her death. The investigation further revealed that Stimpson and Lathan were both traveling to their place of employment in Delhi and were communicating by mobile telephone prior to the accident.
Deputies were assisted by the New York State Police Troop C Collision Reconstruction Unit.
Stimpson is currently being held in lieu of $25,000.00 cash bail. Lathan has been released on bail.
Updated 10/20/10: I mistakenly assumed that the Sheriff's Office press release -- which describes Stimpson and Lathan as "communicating by mobile telephone" -- meant that the two were talking on their cell phones. Today's issue of the Catskill Mountain News reports that Stimpson and Lathan were texting, not talking. I've corrected this in the post. Thanks to the comment below for making me look again. -- JR
