2 held after Chester County hit-and-run

A 17-year-old male crashed a speeding car Saturday night in Chester County and fled the scene with two male companions, leaving a 19-year-old woman unconscious in the backseat, state police said yesterday.

Rebecca Schmoyer, 19, of Wescosville in Lehigh County, was taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center in critical condition with severe head trauma, according to a news release from the Avondale barracks. A hospital spokeswoman said the woman's parents did not want additional information released.

The driver, an Allentown resident who was not identified by Pennsylvania police, was "traveling too fast for a sharp curve" on Lenape Road in East Marlborough Township about 9:50 p.m. He lost control of a 1996 Buick owned by the woman's parents, Jeffrey A. and Kathryn Schmoyer, and veered off the road, hitting a ditch and a tree, according to the release.

A passing motorist called 911, police said.

Police identified the driver and one of his companions, Jason L. Stewart, 18, of Nazareth, through a parallel investigation into a car theft in Media. That probe later led to Delaware.

New Castle County police apprehended the pair Sunday night in Wilmington and charged them with receiving stolen property and conspiracy, according to Delaware court records. Witnesses identified them as operating a tan Ford Contour reported stolen from Media.

Because the offenses are felonies, the driver was named in Delaware court records. He was identified as Kyle Lynch.

Stewart and Lynch, who were found sleeping in the backyard of Lynch's ex-girlfriend, were taken into custody without incident, according to Delaware court records.

Lynch is being held in New Castle County juvenile detention after failing to post $8,000 bail, and Stewart, whose bail was set at $2,000, is in custody at the New Castle County jail, according to court records.

Lynch faces hit-and-run charges in Pennsylvania and Stewart has pending felony charges from Lehigh County, according to the Pennsylvania police release. An investigation is continuing, and police are working to identify the third passenger. Anyone with information is asked to call state police at 610-268-2022.