Man charged with DUI in fatal hit-and-run of boy in Beaver County

A Beaver County man has been charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI after police said he hit and killed a child on a bicycle and drove away. 

The Rochester Borough Police Department said officers were called to Pennsylvania Avenue shortly before 5 p.m. on Friday for reports of a boy who was unresponsive after wrecking his bike. Police said they found the boy, 9-year-old Therman Wallace, on Lacock Street, and medics pronounced him dead at the scene. 

According to court paperwork, surveillance video showed 53-year-old Thomas Earl Cole crashing his Chevrolet truck into the boy at the intersection of New York Avenue and Lacock Street before driving away. Elizabeth Johnson/

"It's a very bad corner. I'm glad there is a stop sign, but it's not safe," said resident Elizabeth Johnson.

When officers went to talk to Cole, they said his breath smelled like alcohol. Police said Cole told investigators he was in the area trying to find his way home because of a road closure. He said that he felt a bump but only saw a pile of rocks when he looked back. 

"Just as a human, I would stop if I hit something, whether it was a squirrel or whatever it might be," Johnson added. "You have to know there is a child there. I don't want to say for sure, but you have to know you hit a person."

Cole is facing several charges, including homicide by vehicle while DUI and reckless driving.

Rochester Elementary mourns "unimaginable loss" 

In a letter to families posted online, Rochester Elementary Principal Rachael Cipolla said the boy killed was a third-grade student.

"This is an unimaginable loss, and our thoughts are with the student's family, Rochester siblings, friends, and all who knew and loved him," Cipolla wrote. 

The district will have counseling services available. A student remembrance also took place on Monday from 5 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

"In times like this, finding the right words is difficult," Cipolla said. "Rochester is more than a place of learning - it is a community, a family - and when we lose one of our own, we all feel that loss together."

Wallace remembered as friendly and "very outgoing"

According to his obituary, Wallace was a "very outgoing" 9-year-old boy who made friends wherever he went. He loved Minecraft, Roblox, UNO, fishing and riding four-wheelers and bikes with his brothers and friends.