A young man from Newton is facing felony charges in connection with a fatal traffic crash during the early morning hours of March 17.
Jasper County Chief Deputy John Halferty says Joseph Dean Stoner, 19, was driving a pickup that rolled off a road southwest of Newton. “We determined that he was intoxicated at the time of the accident. Unfortunately, the accident resulted in two deaths,” Halferty said.
Two passengers in the pickup, 14-year-old Dakota Stattleman and 16-year-old David Stattleman, died at the scene. The two brothers were from Newton. Stoner was injured, but was able to walk to a nearby home for help.
Halferty says Stoner was driving under the influence of a controlled substance. He’s facing charges that include two counts of homicide by vehicle. The maximum sentence for homicide by vehicle is 25 years in prison.
Stoner’s also charged with driving with a revoked license, failure to maintain control and failure to prove security against liability – all simple misdemeanors.
by Randy Van, KCOM