Hearing delayed for driver in fatal Delco crash

A hearing for an 18-year-old Ambler man charged with third-degree murder in a fatal car crash was continued yesterday, pending toxicology and mental-health evaluations.

Johnathan Trueheart, who appeared in court yesterday in red prison garb and handcuffs, was on suicide watch at the Delaware County prison, said his lawyer, Thomas H. Ramsay. Trueheart might be transferred to Norristown State Hospital for mental health treatment and a competency evaluation, Ramsay said.

Police say that, on Nov. 10, Trueheart was speeding north in an SUV against oncoming traffic on Route 352 in Middletown Township when the vehicle ran a red light and smashed into a Honda Accord driven by Joseph Sherlock, 33, of Upper Providence. Sherlock was pronounced dead at the scene. - Joelle Farrell