Driver charged in death of teens struck, killed by pickup truck
7/13/2018
Alyssa and Justin Haun.
TEMPERANCE — The driver of a truck that struck and killed two teenagers on the Fourth of July in Bedford Township now faces felony charges.
Raymond E. Reyome, Jr., 49, of Erie, Mich., is charged with two counts of reckless driving causing death. Both counts are felony offenses, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
He was arraigned Thursday in Monroe County District Court following a July 5 arrest, and remained in the Monroe County jail Friday in lieu of $10,000 surety bond. He is next scheduled to appear at 10 a.m., July 26, for a probable-cause conference and at 1:30 p.m. July 31 for a preliminary hearing.
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At about 12:34 p.m. July 4, a vehicle driven by Mr. Reyome, Jr., traveled off the edge of the roadway, across the shoulder, and onto the roadway easement, striking Justin Haun, 13, and Alyssa Haun, 16, of Lambertville while they were walking on the lawn of a private residence, according to a Monroe County Sheriff’s Office news release.
The teens were taken to ProMedica Toledo Hospital, where they later died, the sheriff’s office reported.
Two other occupants of the pickup who fled on foot after the crash had, as of Friday, been neither identified nor charged in the case.
Funeral services for Justin and Alyssa Haun are scheduled Saturday at 2 p.m. at Bedford Alliance Church, 8645 Jackman Rd., Temperance, with visitation slated to begin an hour before.
As of Friday afternoon, a GoFundMe account to support a charitable fund in the children’s names in the Bedford and Highland school districts had just surpassed $15,000 of its $20,000 goal. Donations still may be made to www.gofundme.com/futures-for-alyssa-and-justin-haun.
The brother and sister were walking from their mother’s house to get food from a nearby Wendy’s restaurant when the wayward pickup struck them.
Justin had been accepted to Monroe County Middle College, through which high-school students from local public districts can earn college credits, with an eye toward becoming a neurosurgeon when he grew up.
His mother, Barbara White, said early this week he also was generous, having recently given to a homeless man a $20 bill he found in a parking lot.
Alyssa, meanwhile, had recently declared an interest in chemical engineering. Her mother said that was not Alyssa’s first plan, but most of her ambitions involved advanced degrees. She also was entering her fourth year in the Toledo ZooTeen program.
Contact David Patch at dpatch@theblade.com or 419-724-6094.