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Driver charged in crash that killed student

Gina Gallucci-White
Frederick News-Post

(5/8) The man who was behind the wheel of a pickup truck that struck and killed a Mount St. Mary's University senior on April 28 has been charged by the Frederick County Sheriff's Office.

Joshua Wayne Cool, 29, was served a summons on charges of negligent driving, knowingly driving an uninsured vehicle and failing to avoid a pedestrian collision, the sheriff's office said.

His parents, Joseph R. and Ann V. Cool, 52 and 56, were also served citations because they owned the vehicle and allowed their son to drive it uninsured.

The citations were served Wednesday night at the family's Emmitsburg home, said Sgt. William Folden.

Elizabeth DiNunzio, 22, was jogging south against the flow of traffic in the 16500 block of Old Emmitsburg Road around 3 p.m. April 28.

There is no paved shoulder on that straight section of the road. DiNunzio was jogging as close to the edge of the pavement as possible when she was hit by a 1995 Nissan pickup truck driven by Cool.

She was not listening to a music player when the crash occurred. The speed limit on that section of the road is 30 mph. Speed and alcohol were not factors in the crash.

DiNunzio was set to run in the Pittsburgh Marathon that weekend and was a member of the host committee. She was from Zelienople, Pa., just outside the city. DiNunzio was two weeks away from graduating magna cum laude with a degree in Spanish.

Folden said DiNunzio's death was an unfortunate event that has affected the entire community of Emmitsburg and Mount St. Mary's. He said the sheriff's office had a responsibility to pursue charges if someone was at fault.

The negligent driving charge carries a $280 fine and three points on Cool's license, while the failure to avoid a collision carries a $110 fine and three additional points.

The uninsured vehicle charges are citations that compel the Cools to appear in court, said Cpl. Jennifer Bailey. They face a possible $1,000 fine, up to a year in jail or both.

The Cools could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

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