Source: The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.self storageOct. 17--JOHNSTOWN -- A tense atmosphere in the office of Richland Township District Justice Max Pavlovich on Wednesday was said to have played a role in Austin Molinich's decision to waive his preliminary hearing on charges that he was responsible for the deaths of two people.Cambria County First Assistant District Attorney Heath Long and defense attorney Thomas Dickey spoke between themselves and with the parties they represent for more than an hour before deciding it was in the best interest of all involved to avoid a hearing.While no words were exchanged between the families of the victim and the defendant,?Long said he learned a decade ago that traffic cases such as this are often more emotional than murder cases."They are tougher; they're emotionally draining," Long said.Dickey agreed it was better to avoid putting families from both sides in a room at the district judge level.The case now moves to county court.About a dozen members of Molinich's family came to the hearing, which had been postponed a number of times.Also on hand were a number of relatives of Donald Evans and his granddaughter Cassandra Singer, who died in a traffic accident on June 11, 2012.Evans, 71, of Conemaugh Township, Cambria County, and Singer, 19, of Northumberland County, were traveling south on Frankstown Road in the area of Brewer Road when Evans' Volkswagen pickup truck was struck by Molinich's northbound pickup.Texting allegationsRichland Township police allege that Molinich was texting on his cellphone and was distracted when his truck crossed over the center line and collided head-on with the Evans vehicle.Molinich, now 20 and a freshman at Pitt-Johnstown, was charged by Richland police a year after the wreck with eight counts that include homicide by vehicle, involun迷利倉ary manslaughter, texting while driving and driving under the influence.The case marks the first time texting while driving charges have been filed in Cambria County since the statewide prohibition on such action was enacted 20 months ago.Texting while driving is a crime that can be difficult to catch, police officers from across the region told The Tribune-Democrat in late June.Following the wreck, Molinich told police that he was distracted by a bird that hit his windshield.Whatever happened, Molinich was significantly distracted, Long said Wednesday."There are a lot of issues, certainly, with cellphone usage," Long said. "(Molinich) was over the line by a lot of feet -- nine to 12 feet. A cellphone or whatever, something caused his attention to waiver."But many homicide by vehicle cases, he said, can be difficult to prove."We have a heavy burden," Long said.Pavlovich and attorneys for both sides took steps to separate the families of the victims and defendant.Long was quick to take the family of Evans and Singer to a back room in Pavlovich's office while Molinich's family was kept to the front.After the proceeding, the victims' family members were escorted from the building from a side door as Pavlovich stood in the front lobby to keep the defendant's family from going into the parking lot."I don't want any problems," Pavlovich said. "When they leave, then you'll be free to leave."Dickey said in this case there are victims on both sides. He said his client "feels terrible" about what happened.Kathy Mellott covers the Cambria County courthouse for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/kathymellotttd.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at .tribune-democrat.com Distributed by MCT Information Services自存倉