Salem woman to serve jail sentence for drunk driving crash that injured bicyclist

Nearly three years after Edward Chatterton was hit by a drunk driver as he bicycled in Export he continues to have physical, emotional and financial struggles.

Chatterton testified Tuesday during a sentencing hearing for the woman who prosecutors said was responsible for the crash.

“I used to live an active life. I was always doing something. My life was different then as it is now. It resulted in my having to leave the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” he said.

Tanya L. Cardoni, 40, of Salem, last October pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a vehicle, hit and run and drunk driving offenses. Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Tim Krieger sentenced her to serve at least three months in jail, one year on house arrest and an additional year on probation.

According to court records, Cardoni was responsible for two crashes within minutes. The first involved Chatterton as he biked along Kennedy Avenue in Export on Aug. 5, 2021. Police said Cardoni’s vehicle was involved in a second crash, about two miles away on Borland Farm Road in Murrysville and later was driven away by a friend before authorities arrived on scene.

Assistant District Attorney Mike Pacek said Cardoni’s blood alcohol level after the crashes was 0.247%, three times the limit motorists are considered to be intoxicated under Pennsylvania law.

Chatterton, 35, now of Jackson, Wyo., sustained broken bones and other injuries including permanent hearing loss, and said he suffers from ongoing anxiety that for months prevented him from working. He told the judge it took him about a year and a half to again ride a bike.

“It has been a struggle to even feel safe visiting my mother in Pennsylvania,” Chatterton testified.

The financial impact of the incident remains an issue and he said he continues to struggle to pay his medical bills. His debt is being paid off monthly through garnishments from his Social Security benefits.

The judge said the sentence he crafted allows Cardoni to continue working while incarcerated to enable her pay $20,000 in restitution to cover Chatterton’s medical bills. She was ordered to make $500 monthly payments.

Cardoni initially called her actions a grave mistake, and only after prodding from the judge, apologized to Chatterton.

“I should not have been on the road in the first place. It was a mistake. I am very sorry for hitting you. I am deeply sorry and I think about him every day that goes by and I hope he can forgive me,” Cardoni said.