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NORRISTOWN — A jury determined a Gilbertsville man was driving a motorcycle while under the influence of methamphetamine and caused a two-vehicle crash in Limerick that claimed the life of his girlfriend, who was riding on the back of the Harley Davidson Sportster.
Jesse Raymond Kling, 37, of the 1200 block of East Philadelphia Avenue, was convicted in Montgomery County Court of charges of homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence of a controlled substance, homicide by vehicle, DUI, possession of controlled substances, accidents involving death while not properly licensed and operating a vehicle without an ignition interlock system in connection with the April 20, 2023, crash on Ridge Pike in Limerick that killed 28-year-old Brittany Langevin, of Lower Pottsgrove.
The jury deliberated more than 11 hours before reaching the verdict after hearing testimony at a three-day trial.
After the jury rendered its verdict, Judge Wendy G. Rothstein, who presided over the trial, convicted Kling of summary offenses including illegal racing, driving under suspension and careless and reckless driving.
Rothstein scheduled Kling’s sentencing hearing for May.
Kling has two prior DUI convictions and a prior conviction for failing to use ignition interlock and as a result faces a 7-year mandatory sentence for the latest conviction.
Assistant District Attorney Gabriella Eileen Glenning vowed to seek a lengthy prison term against Kling, including the mandatory sentence allowed by law.
“It’s just egregious. This is a defendant who has priors, who’s been through the classes, who knows the dangers of what this can do and ultimately had the worst case scenario happen,” Glenning said after the trial.
During the trial, Glenning and co-prosecutor Erin Russell alleged Kling did not have a valid driver’s license to operate a motorcycle, that his driver’s license was suspended at the time of the crash and that the motorcycle was not properly registered or inspected.
“He disregarded all of that and still chose to not only endanger himself and the victim in this case but frankly, anyone else on that roadway,” Glenning said. “This was a life that was tragically taken.”
Langevin’s relatives attended the trial.
“I think they are always going to be dealing with it, they lost their daughter. We can’t bring Brittany back. While we do the best we can to have justice for the family, it’s never going to bring her back,” Russell said. “This is a horrible tragedy. This is going to affect her family forever.”
The crash occurred at the High Street connector to Ridge Pike in Limerick Township where eastbound High Street goes from two lanes to one lane as it prepares motorists for a merge onto eastbound Ridge Pike.
Testimony revealed the crash occurred as Kling and the driver of a Honda Accord, a 17-year-old girl, were attempting to outdistance each other at the merge point on High Street near the eastbound Evergreen Road underpass in Limerick.
Glenning argued during the trial that the operator of the Honda, after “a back-and-forth” between the vehicles, claimed the lane and Kling struck the rear of the Honda about 92 feet after the merge point. Langevin, who was not wearing a helmet, died on impact.
“So when the Honda had the lane, he (Kling) didn’t give up. He wasn’t done the race. He didn’t stop, he didn’t swerve. He still wasn’t letting up,” Glenning alleged. “I think his conduct shows that he was careless and negligent to get in that back-and-forth and not give up. I think if he was sober he might have been able to stop or swerve and could have prevented this tragedy.”
Kling did not testify during the trial.
But defense lawyer Craig Thomas Hosay argued Kling had the right of way and that the inexperienced juvenile driver of the Honda was reckless because she should have yielded to Kling at the merge and therefore she was more culpable in the crash.
Hosay said he was disappointed with the verdict.
“I’m disappointed because I think we had a very strong case. But you never know what a jury verdict will be and I respect the jury’s decision,” said Hosay, who described Kling as “very emotional” about the fatal crash.
“He is very emotional and teared up at several times during the trial at the description of his girlfriend’s death. It’s clear that he cared for her and never wanted something like this to happen,” Hosay added.
Hosay argued that a prosecution medical expert did not offer proof or a conclusive opinion as to whether or not Kling was impaired at the time of the crash by the methamphetamine that was found in his system.
The driver of the Honda, who authorities alleged had a low level of marijuana in her bloodstream, previously was adjudicated delinquent in juvenile court on charges of vehicular homicide while DUI and DUI in connection with the crash, according to testimony. In juvenile court, offenders can be kept under supervision until they are 21.
The juvenile tearfully testified during Kling’s trial.
The investigation began about 4:14 p.m. on April 20, 2023, when Limerick police responded to the crash. Arriving officers observed the motorcycle on its right side along a guiderail and the Honda on the southbound side of the shoulder near the merge with Ridge Pike, according to the criminal complaint filed by Limerick Police Sergeant Matthew Daywalt.
Langevin “was prone on the road surface with significant and obvious head trauma” and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to court papers.
“The cause of her death was determined to be multiple blunt impact injuries related to the crash,” said Daywalt, referring to an autopsy report.
Kling, the driver to the motorcycle, was conscious but did not provide an account leading up to the crash as emergency responders attended to him, police said.
“While removing his clothing to provide care, several bags consistent with illicit drugs and containing a substance having the appearance of heroin and another baggie containing a substance having the appearance of methamphetamine were discovered,” Daywalt alleged. “Kling was also in possession of unidentified blue pills.”
Kling was treated at Paoli Hospital after the crash.
The investigation determined Kling’s driving privilege was suspended in 2020 with an ignition interlock required. No ignition interlock device was on the motorcycle, police said. The motorcycle displayed a registration plate issued for another vehicle, and was not currently titled, insured or inspected, according to court documents.
Investigators obtained surveillance video footage from several businesses in the area that recorded the vehicles stopped for a red traffic signal at High Street and Rupert Road.
“They started eastbound accelerating and exchanging a back and forth with neither operator yielding to the other. At one point, the Honda is almost entirely ahead of the Harley Davidson prior to impact,” Daywalt alleged. “It was clear that Kling and (the juvenile Honda driver) had attempted to outgain, outdistance or prevent the other vehicle from passing or to arrive at the given destination ahead of the other vehicle.”
Investigators concluded that Kling drove “while under the influence of a drug or combination of drugs to a degree that impaired his ability to safely do so.”
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