Earlier this month we wrote about the trial of a man who was accused of causing the death of three passengers in a car accident. The man was behind the wheel of the vehicle when the accident occurred on Parkway West.

At the time of that post the Allegheny County judge who heard the case delayed the verdict to allow additional evidence regarding the electronic data recorder found in the man's car. He made this decision because there was not precedent in the state of Pennsylvania for the introduction into evidence of information from the recorder.

As was the plan at that point, additional testimony was heard from an expert for the prosecution. That expert was a former engineer with Ford Motor Co. Now retired, the engineer testified that throughout the automobile industry, event data recorders are considered to be an acceptable technology when investigating crashes in which the car is involved. In addition, it is relied upon to determine whether airbags in the vehicles deployed correctly.

The expert, who is also an accident reconstructionist, addressed the specifics of the criminal case as well. According to the engineer, the event date recorder in the vehicle of the car that crashed was working properly at the time of the accident. The information the data recorder provided indicated that the prior to the deployment of the vehicle's airbags, the car was travelling at the speed of 106 mph.

Citing the expense, the defense did not offer an expert to testify.

After hearing the testimony, the judge assigned to the case rendered a decision. The defendant was found guilty on all counts including homicide by vehicle. Sentencing is set to take place in May.

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "Car recorder convicts driver in 3 deaths," Paula Reed Ward, Feb. 22, 2012