A North Philadelphia man waived a preliminary hearing last week on charges stemming from an alcohol-related crash that claimed the life of a Wissinoming woman in February. Eric Luciano, 34, remains free on $100,000 bail pending an Oct. 9 arraignment in Common Pleas Court. He is accused of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and related offenses in connection with the Feb. 24 death of Teresa Marquard, 58, of the 6100 block of Gillespie St.
Marquard and her husband were walking northbound on the 5700 block of Frankford Ave., adjacent to Wissinoming Park, at about 9:36 a.m. when Luciano allegedly lost control of his southbound 1999 Pontiac Montana. The vehicle veered into oncoming traffic, mounted a curb and struck Marquard on the sidewalk before hitting a tree. Police said that the victim saw the van coming, screamed and pushed her husband out of harm’s way.
Marquard lost consciousness and was hospitalized with bleeding of the head and legs. She was pronounced dead at 10:01 a.m. Luciano was critically injured in the crash with undisclosed injuries.
Authorities didn’t charge him initially, but opened an investigation that led to his May 29 arrest. Results of Luciano’s blood test were not disclosed publicly. Court documents list him as a resident of the 19140 ZIP code in the city’s Hunting Park section.
Luciano was ordered to stand trial for homicide by vehicle while DUI as well as simple assault, reckless endangerment, involuntary manslaughter, firearms offenses and related charges. ••
