MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A New Jersey man accused of driving a car during a crash that killed a WVU student is now on the run and being sought by police.
A report from the Pennsylvania State Police says Aaron Sims, 26, of Camden, was driving on I-676 near the Eighth Street exit in Philadelphia carelessly and at a high rate of speed when he hit a rideshare car on the shoulder of the highway.
The collision killed Chloe Robertson, 21, a senior criminology student at WVU died at the scene and her friend, Bobbiann Gubbei was seriously injured.
“There are times I cry my eyes out because I lost, not only the past, but the future,”Chloe’s sister Lauren Robertson told WAJR News,”I lost my maid of honor, I lost my sister and I lost my best friend.”
Gubbei suffered two broken legs, a broken arm, four pelvic fractures, lacerations and is recovering.
According to Lauren, on the night of the crash the family found received notification almost immediately, outside normal channels.
“He was on FaceTime with her at the time of the accident,”Lauren Robertson said,”The whole reason we found out before my parents were notified by the police department officially in-person in Orlando, was because he was on the phone with her.”
The family is pursuing civil action, but those efforts have been hampered by the pandemic, and now the suspect is on the lam.
According to Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers, there is an active, full extradition arrest warrant charging Sims with homicide by vehicle. Police say Sims left his cousin’s house in the 1400 Block of Brown St, in Philadelphia, at over two times the legal limit and had marijuana in his system.
Justice is now the main objective for the family. Sister, Lauren says the Sims could face up to seven years for death of her sister and she’s not sure if that is justice or even serves as deterrent to drunk driving.
“Three to seven years is a small snippet of your lifetime,”Lauren Robertson said,”Best case scenario, someone got three years they have their whole life ahead of them, they could get married, they could get a job and have a career and they still can have children.”