A man who caused a deadly crash while drag racing at over 100 mph, killing a 15-year-old girl riding in a school van, pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Tuesday in Dravosburg.
William Soliday, 44, from North Huntingdon, had been set to stand trial before Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Bruce Beemer, but instead admitted guilt in the death of Samantha Kalkbrenner and was sentenced to 5½ to 12 years in state prison.
“You took her away from so many people who loved her,” Judge Beemer told Soliday during sentencing, noting he had received 47 victim-impact statements in Samantha’s memory.
Samantha’s parents, best friend, and boyfriend all spoke in court. Her father, Carl Kalkbrenner, described her as nearly perfect, someone who deeply cherished life and was adored by everyone around her. “In a moment, she was gone,” he said, calling his only child “the best of all of us.”
The fatal crash happened around 7:20 a.m. on September 20, 2023. Soliday was driving his white Volkswagen Jetta to work at Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory when he began racing a coworker, Andrew Voigt, 38, who was driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Witnesses reported the two men speeding across the Mansfield Bridge. Soliday’s vehicle data showed he reached 107 mph shortly before slamming into a school van headed to Serra Catholic High School. He braked just 1.5 seconds before impact but was still going 90 mph when he hit the van.
Three students were ejected, and Samantha died at the scene. Voigt did not crash but fled, later telling police he became physically ill and drove home to clean up before going to work in a different vehicle. His trial has been postponed, and he has not entered a plea.
In court, Samantha’s mother, Nenita Kalkbrenner, sobbed as a crash video was shown and hugged each speaker who shared memories of her daughter. She told the court that she and her husband visit Samantha’s grave daily and accused the two men of destroying their family’s life. Holding up a photo of Samantha, she confronted Soliday directly: “Look at what you took from us.”
Soliday, in tears, apologized for his actions, saying he carries deep sorrow and takes full responsibility. His wife, Flanna, also expressed regret on his behalf, emphasizing that while he made a terrible mistake, he is not a monster.
Judge Beemer, before handing down the sentence, acknowledged the broader loss, noting the potential of Samantha’s life that was cut short. He shared that he also has a 15-year-old daughter and told the courtroom that Samantha was the kind of friend every parent hopes their child finds.
Soliday’s lawyer, Casey White, said the sentencing was one of the hardest he had experienced and believed justice was served.
The case could have become more complicated at trial after it was discovered that the school van’s driver, Richard Maleski, had cocaine in his system. While he was not charged, prosecutors granted him immunity to secure his testimony. Defense attorneys might have used that information to argue for shared responsibility in the crash.
Leave a Reply