The dump truck driver who struck and killed a woman in Lower Providence Township is wanted for her death, DA says

The driver of a dump truck that veered into oncoming traffic in August in Lower Providence Township, killing a pregnant woman and her unborn child, will face criminal charges, prosecutors in Montgomery County announced Friday.

An arrest warrant was issued for Everett Clayton, 66, of Charleston, W. Va., for homicide by vehicle, careless driving, driving an unregistered vehicle, and related offenses in the crash, which killed Kellie Adams and her daughter, Emersyn. Charged alongside Clayton is the truck’s owner, Patrick Doran, 23, of Gaithersburg, Md., who prosecutors say used a fake name to purchase the truck, failed to register the vehicle after purchasing it, and didn’t maintain it properly.

Doran was also being sought by investigators Friday, charged with homicide by vehicle, permitting violation of title, and related offenses.

District Attorney Kevin Steele said that even though Doran was not behind the wheel of the dump truck, he still bears responsibility for Adams’ and her daughter’s deaths.

“The owner allowed this truck to be on the road even though he knew it didn’t even meet basic requirements for legal operation,” Steele said. “The dump truck should never have been on the road where it became a lethal weapon.”

Neither Clayton nor Doran could not be reached for comment Friday. Court records show Clayton has multiple prior convictions for driving on a suspended license in Virginia.

Adams, who also left behind two young sons, was driving her Chevrolet Tahoe on South Park Avenue on Aug. 25 when the crash occurred, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in the case. Clayton, in a Ford F650 XLT Super Duty, drove around a sharp curve in the road too quickly.

Clayton lost control of the truck, causing it to fishtail in the road, the affidavit said. When he sharply turned his wheel in an attempt to regain control, he struck Adams’ Tahoe, hitting it with enough force to send it into a nearby field. The truck flipped over, and its cab disconnected from the bed in the back.

Adams, of Lansdale, was pronounced dead at the scene as first responders attempted to remove her from the vehicle, the affidavit said. She worked as a teacher at Cottage Seven Academy in Phoenixville, according to her obituary, and was a fifth-generation firefighter.

In an interview with detectives, Clayton admitted he drank two beers that day, including one 30 minutes before the crash, and had the remnants of a six pack in the truck with him, the affidavit said. His blood alcohol level, however, was .076, under the legal limit, and he does not face DUI charges in the crash.

Inspectors working with county detectives noted that the truck did not have a valid state inspection, and likely would’ve failed one: Its rear tires were mismatched and there was an issue with its braking system, according to the affidavit.

A further review of the records associated with the truck revealed that it was not registered in Pennsylvania, nor any other state, and had been purchased by Doran under the name “Jacob Fury,” an alias.

Doran, the records showed, used a fake New York state ID to buy the truck from a Philadelphia business, and registered it to a post office box in Conshohocken, passing it off as the address of his business, Stellar Paving and Drainage, the affidavit said.

Investigators said in court filings that Clayton did not know the correct name of the company he said he worked for, and repeatedly referred to Doran by his first name, rather than “Jacob.”