A Mahoning Township man who was coyote hunting and shot a woman insteadwaived a preliminary hearing on Wednesday.

Michael J. Harvan of Floral Lane is facing the misdemeanor charges of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person, and the summary charge of shooting at or causing injury to human beings.He said he intends to seek inclusion into the Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition program.Under the ARD program, a person has a chance to have his record wiped clean of the criminal charges if he abides by all the provisions.The charges stem from an incident which occurred at about 11 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 22, on State Game Lands in East Penn Township.The affidavit, filed by Cory Bentzoni of the Pennsylvania Game Commission, states that his investigation indicates Harvan was hunting coyotes on that date.Harvan told him that he had seen a coyote jump and headed in a northeasterly direction down the mountain from Bake Oven Knob.Harvan told Bentzoni he went to an access road to see if he would see the coyote again.The affidavit says, "Mr. Harvan noticed a gray and black shape in the access road and pulled his gun up and shot. He then heard a woman scream and realizing it was not a coyote, went to the location as fast as he could and rendered aid."The victim, Sharon Krause, was hiking with her boyfriend, Edgar Radowitch, on the state game lands and taking photos when they heard a shot.The affidavit says Radowitch was off the access road, while Krause was walking on the access road taking pictures. Krause noticed someone standing to her southeast up the mountain and in the access road."She turned and started to walk back into the entrance when she heard the gunshot and felt the bullet strike her," according to the affidavit."She ran back into the entrance screaming (that) someone just shot me, where she fell to the ground and Mr. Radowitch started to render aid, followed soon by Mr. Harvan."Krause was struck in the left hip with a grazing shot that opened a 4-inch gash.Harvan was legally hunting and wearing the proper amount of fluorescent orange clothing, the affidavit says.It adds, "The day was clear and sunlit." The direction of the shot was down a clear access road with no obstruction, and the distance from Harvan and Krause was 112 yards.Bentzoni concluded, "Through the investigation it was found that Mr. Harvan did not properly identify his target and fired upon a human being."