Winston Charleston’s joyride became a nightmare for a Bucks County family after the 14-year-old Tacony boy crashed his mom’s car into two other vehicles on Academy Road early last Thursday, killing one man and injuring four.
According to Philadelphia police, Charleston, of the 7100 block of State Road in Tacony, stole the keys to his mother’s 2002 Chrysler Sebring and took three friends on a joyride early that morning.
He was seen speeding northbound on Interstate 95 and exiting at Academy Road at about 2:15 a.m., police said. With headlights turned off, Charleston allegedly blew through a red light at Willits Road, lost control of his vehicle and crashed head-on into two other cars in the southbound lanes of Academy Road.
Daniel Fouracre, 22, of the 5200 block of Mallard Drive, Bensalem, was a front-seat passenger in a 2002 Jetta driven by his girlfriend, Jessica Feldman, 20, of Huntingdon Valley. The impact mangled the passenger side of the Volkswagen. Fouracre was pronounced dead at the scene with multiple traumatic injuries.
Feldman was taken to Aria Health-Torresdale, reportedly for treatment of a shoulder injury, broken elbow and broken finger. She is expected to survive her injuries.
Charleston’s vehicle also struck a southbound Chevy Impala, but the occupants of that vehicle — a woman and man, both 22 — reported no injuries.
Among the three teens who were in the car with Charleston, two were taken to Aria Health-Torresdale for treatment of multiple broken bones, cuts and bruises. A third passenger was taken to St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children with unknown injuries. All are expected to survive. Authorities did not release their identities.
Charleston was also taken to Aria Health-Torresdale with a complaint of neck pain. He was treated and released to police custody. Authorities have charged him as an adult with murder, aggravated assault, involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle, accident involving death/no license, simple assault, reckless endangerment and unauthorized use of an auto.
Charleston reportedly graduated from Austin Meehan Middle School last month and was planning to enroll in Lincoln High School in September. ••
