Lower Bucks Man Pleads Guilty To Crash That Killed Couple

LOWER BUCKS COUNTY, PA —A 32-year-old Lower Bucks County man pleaded guilty on Thursday to causing the Bristol Township crash that claimed the lives of a couple from Connecticut in February, authorities said.

John Thomas Wadlinger Jr., of Bensalem, entered an open plea before Common Pleas Judge C. Theodore Fritsch, Jr. to 20 counts, including two counts each of homicide by vehicle while DUI and homicide by vehicle.

Fritsch ordered a pre-sentence investigation and sentencing was deferred for 60 days, the Bucks County District Attorney's Office said.

A joint investigation by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, the Bristol Township Police Department, and the Plumstead Township Police Department found that Wadlinger was under the influence of methamphetamine and amphetamine when he sped through a traffic intersection on Feb. 24 and crashed into a car, killing Rebecca Whiddon, 33, and Richard Whiddon, 37, both of Brooklyn, Conn.

The couple were passengers in a Nissan Sentra that was headed westbound on Ford Road and was attempting to make a left turn onto southbound Veteran's Highway when it was struck by a black Ford Explorer, driven by Wadlinger, traveling east on Ford Road at an excessively high rate of speed.

The investigation found Wadlinger was driving at a minimum of 73 mph, more than twice the posted speed limit.

The Whiddons were killed at the scene, and the driver and another occupant of the Nissan sustained significant injuries.

Wadlinger fled the scene on foot before police arrived. He then stole a dump truck and drove off, crashing it and again fleeing on foot. He was taken into custody a short time later.

Wadlinger also entered guilty pleas to aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle, recklessly endangering another person, accidents involving death or injury, accidents involving death or injury while not properly licensed, driving under the influence, fleeing or eluding police, evading arrest or detention, theft by unlawful taking, criminal mischief, possession of an instrument of crime, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, driving on a suspended license, defiant trespassing, reckless driving and driving at unsafe speeds.

At a preliminary hearing this summer, six witnesses, including two accident reconstruction experts, testified about the crash.