March 30, 2023
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
An officer with the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police faces charges in a Feb. 20 crash that killed 75-year-old bicyclist Michael Ghione.
An officer with the Westtown-East Goshen Regional Police Department was charged Thursday following an investigation into a deadly crash with a bicyclist in West Goshen last month, authorities said.
Jason Listmeier, 24, allegedly crashed his patrol car into the victim around 10:15 a.m. on Feb. 20 while responding to a call for an erratic driver, investigators said. The collision happened in the 900 block of South High Street near the Route 202 overpass, where Listmeier was heading to track down the driver.
An investigation by Chester County detectives and West Goshen Police determined that Listmeier was allegedly traveling 50 mph in a 45 mph zone and lost control of his car when he looked down at his work computer, authorities said.
The police car struck a guardrail first before colliding with 75-year-old Michael Ghione, of West Chester.
Listmeier immediately rendered aid to Ghione, but the cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene. The cause of death was attributed to multiple blunt impact injures.
Listmeier is charged with careless driving resulting in an unintentional death, driving on roadways laned for traffic and overtaking a vehicle on the left, the Chester County District Attorney's Office said.
“This is a tragic incident that deeply affects many people," District Attorney Deb Ryan said. "Although we expect law enforcement to respond urgently to assist others, they still must adhere to our traffic laws to ensure the safety of everyone on the road.”
