"This is a situation that happens far to frequently, where teens, booze and cars are mixed and people get hurt," said District Attorney Risa Ferman.
Police say 19-year-old Patrick Sullivan of Royersford and his teen friends were drinking beer the night of March 10th. Around 8:00 p.m. Sullivan got behind the wheel of his new car.
"He got the car that morning. His father had purchased the car that morning. Of course, that evening this happened," said defense attorney Richard Winters.
Police used the same kind of car to reconstruct the accident.
They say Sullivan was doing more than 62 miles an hour over the small pockmarked street when he lost control.
The car hit a parked tractor-trailer rig.
Sixteen-year-old Ashley Bouher was thrown from the car and died of massive head injuries.
Sullivan was tested on the scene and was not intoxicated, but because of the speed he is charged with homicide by vehicle.
Although Sullivan wasn't drunk, the district attorney says it's a sad reminder that teenagers, booze and cars are often a deadly combination.
"I can't stress enough that this is something that parents need to make sure their kids are not doing. Cars are dangerous with teens driving them anyway. They are not able to control the car. They don't know how to navigate the roadway without drugs or alcohol complicating matters," said Ferman.
Sullivan faces up to 7 years in jail if convicted, but he's likely to get a much shorter sentence.
Police have also arrested 22-year-old Lauren Perry and charged her with supplying the beer to the teens the night of the accident.
