Log In


Reset Password

Pedestrian fatality hearing delayed

A hearing for a Monroe County woman who struck and killed an elderly woman while driving under the influence over two years ago has been delayed.

Nicole Iannone, 24, of Kunkletown, was scheduled to have a preliminary hearing Wednesday before District Judge William Kissner of Palmerton.Instead, her case has been continued, and no new date has been set.According to an affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Jason Doll of the Franklin Township Police Department:At 6:39 p.m. Nov. 29, 2014, Doll was dispatched to the report of a crash in the area of the Shell Gas Station along Route 209 for a single vehicle hitting a pedestrian.While on location, Doll found the victim, later identified as Agnes Szpak, then 89, of Nesquehoning, lying in the lane of travel on Route 209.Doll provided aid and assisted with an off-duty doctor on scene until fire and EMS arrived.Iannone identified herself as the driver of the vehicle that struck Szpak, and took Doll to the area at the end of the parking lot where she had parked her car.The damage on the vehicle was consistent with that of the crash.Officer Frank Lorah of the Franklin Township Police Department took Iannone to get personal items from the vehicle.Lorah and Doll smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle.Lorah said when Iannone took her bag from the car he could see a bag of marijuana in the top in plain view. Doll placed Iannone in hand cuffs.Lorah then said that a passenger in the vehicle provided him with a marijuana grinder that had a small amount of marijuana in it, and she was taken into custody.Szpak was flown to the hospital, where she died.The scene was processed by Doll and assisting officers on location.A consent warning was signed by Iannone to search her bag, with the search finding a marijuana pipe, two small bags with a small amount of marijuana, a grinder with marijuana, a cigarette pack with several small ends to marijuana cigarettes, and several empty bags that may have contained marijuana.On Dec. 3, 2014, an accident reconstruction was done by trooper Jennifer Wieboldt. On Dec. 22 of that year, the inspection portion of the crash reconstruction was done at Frank's Service Center.Doll, acting on a search warrant, conducted an interior search of the vehicle and located a jelly jar with ends from marijuana cigarettes, a blue wax baggie, a water pipe for smoking marijuana, a pack of Zigzag rolling papers, a small, clear baggie that smelled of marijuana, a small sandwich bag with a small amount of marijuana, and a small, green bag with a small amount of marijuana.Iannone faces charges on 12 counts of possession of drug paraphernalia, two counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and one count each of involuntary manslaughter, careless driving, possession or delivery of a small amount of marijuana or hashish, and possession of drug paraphernalia.She remains free on unsecured bail.