Fallston Family Seeks Answers in Pedestrian Death

Three weeks after a Fallston man was killed while walking with a snowblower in front of his house, police continue to investigate and his family is looking for answers.

Police reported on March 17 that authorities located the Jeep that hit and killed Chris Widomski, 44, on Harford Road.

When the crash occurred on March 5, the driver left the scene after removing the snow blower, according to WJZ.

So far, charges have not been filed, as troopers are “awaiting results from a number of forensic tests,” Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley told Patch earlier this week.

Widomski’s girlfriend said that she was heartbroken and disappointed that charges have not been filed, given that she was informed the suspect had turned himself in to police.

“It came straight from the Maryland State Police to me that they had found a 22-year-old man who confessed...” Ronda Allen-Zeller, Widomski’s girlfriend, told ABC 2 News.

Police said that the investigation required time for testing and evidence gathering.

“Unfortunately, not all cases are solved as quickly as they are on television,” Shipley said in an interview with ABC 2.

• ‘Troopers Have Charged No One’ in Fatal Fallston Crash: Police
• Jeep Found from Fatal Hit and Run in Fallston
• Investigation Continues into Fatal Fallston Hit and Run

The incident report from the crash indicates that Widomski was at fault for being in the road, according to The Aegis.

“Pedestrian error has been determined to be a contributing factor in the crash,” Shipley told Patch. “Due to the snow, evidence indicates Mr. Widomski was walking at least partially in the roadway. However, that does not negate the issue of this being a hit and run fatality.”

What the driver did showed a “flagrant disrespect for human life,” Shipley said in an interview with WJZ.

• Fallston Man Killed in Harford Road Hit and Run

In another recent highly publicized fatal hit and run in the region, investigators also required time to make charges official.

When Heather Cook, the state’s first female Episcopal bishop, was suspected in a fatal hit and run in north Baltimore on Dec. 27, charges were filed approximately two weeks later. Before then, citizens created a Facebook page calling for her to be held accountable in the death of Thomas Palermo, 41, who like Widomski was a father of two young children.

Shipley explained to ABC 2 News that in Widomski’s case, police were going through the necessary steps, stating: “We cannot identify someone who we think may have committed an offense until we have probable cause to charge that person.”

• Visitation Planned for Chris Widomski; Fund Established for Children

Screenshot from ABC 2/YouTube.

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