A Scranton man has been charged with causing a two-car crash that injured a Pennsylvania State Trooper on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 2021.

According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Trooper Chad Rarig of the Pocono barracks in the case against Yerson Garcia Guzman:

At 9:16 p.m. April 17, 2021, Cpl. John Vacchino, Rarig, and Troopers Dave Boucher and Kevin Kugler were dispatched to a two-vehicle crash on the turnpike northbound at mile marker 97.6 in Kidder Township for a crash involving an on-duty officer, Trooper Joseph Splendido, who was struck while conducting a traffic enforcement.

Rarig observed a severely damaged 2006 Pontiac Torrent, and a severely damaged 2017 Ford Taurus unmarked police cruiser.

Splendido was out of the vehicle and in obvious pain with back, head and neck injuries and said that he was parked on the shoulder running radar at that location when radar indicated a vehicle approaching from the rear at 93 mph, and that he put his patrol vehicle in gear, preparing to make a traffic stop.

The vehicle slammed into his rear bumper, pushing his vehicle into a guide rail. Splendido got out of the patrol vehicle and went to check on the occupants of the other vehicle.

Splendido said that he found a woman, later identified as Sharitzy Singh, lying on her back outside the front passenger side door with a broken leg and a bleeding head wound.

A man, later identified as Garcia Guzman, 30, was kneeling over Singh.

Garcia Guzman was interviewed at the scene and denied being the driver. He said that Singh was driving.

Rarig smelled alcohol coming from Singh and Garcia Guzman.

Garcia Guzman also admitted to smoking marijuana before the crash.

Singh and Garcia Guzman were transported by ambulance to Geisinger Wyoming Valley. Singh was re-interviewed in the emergency room where she again said that Garcia Guzman was the driver.

Garcia Guzman was uncooperative in the hospital emergency room.

On Nov. 30, 2021, Rarig was granted a search warrant to obtain the medical records, including toxicology results of Garcia Guzman and Singh for their treatment at Geisinger Wyoming Valley pursuant to the crash. Garcia Guzman was found to have a blood alcohol content of .133%.

On March 7, 2023, Rarig was granted a search warrant to obtain transcribed copies of recorded statements made by Garcia Guzman and Singh to Progressive Insurance.

Rarig received four transcribed statements, two provided by Singh, and two provided by Garcia Guzman.

In one of the statements to Progressive, Garcia Guzman says, “I was arguing with my partner, and then I got distracted, and then I lost control of the truck, and then I hit the cement, the concrete. But then there was, like, this, uh, uh, police, this gray police car parked on the side with the lights off, like 800 meters away. And when I hit the concrete, I hit the police car.”

Garcia Guzman faces charges on two counts each of aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, recklessly endangering another person, and one count each of DUI/unsafe driving, DUI/BAC .10%-.16%, exceeding 66 or 70 mph for all vehicles by 23 mph, and driving without a license.

Garcia Guzman is awaiting a preliminary hearing.