Cincinnati police charged an 80-year-old Hyde Park man with vehicular homicide and vehicular manslaughter more than two months after his Chevrolet Corvette struck and killed a 26-year-old Vespa rider on Erie Avenue.

William Luken III faces the charges in connection with the May 1 crash that killed Noah Patsfall, according to Hamilton County court documents filed Wednesday, July 9. Luken was also charged with a traffic infraction.

What happened on May 1

Cincinnati police responded just before 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 1, to 3505 Erie Ave., near the intersection of Erie and Pinecrest avenues and the Rookwood Commons shopping area. Patsfall was riding his Vespa eastbound on Erie Avenue when Luken, driving westbound, turned his Corvette left in front of the scooter and struck it, according to police.

Patsfall was ejected from the Vespa and hit the Corvette before coming to rest in the road. He was wearing a helmet but was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

Luken remained at the scene and was not injured. The police report found Luken at fault. In their initial report, Cincinnati police said speed and impairment did not appear to be contributing factors.

The charges

Under Ohio Revised Code Section 2903.06, vehicular homicide is a first-degree misdemeanor in its base form, carrying up to six months in jail. Vehicular manslaughter is a second-degree misdemeanor. Either charge can be elevated to a felony under certain circumstances, such as prior convictions or a suspended license. Court documents do not specify whether Luken's charges have been elevated.

No arraignment date or next court hearing has been publicly scheduled as of Thursday, July 17. The Cincinnati Police Department has not explained why charges came more than 10 weeks after the crash.

Who was Noah Patsfall?

Patsfall was a 2018 graduate of the School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, where he majored in technical theater. At the time of his death, he was finishing an associate degree in electrical engineering technology at Cincinnati State and had begun a co-op at Electronauts.

"Noah had endless curiosity about the world and the way things work," his obituary reads. "He was self-taught in many crafts; he built his own computers, taught himself to play the bass and never stopped tinkering and experimenting with new projects."

Anyone with information about the May 1 crash can contact the Cincinnati Police Department Traffic Unit at 513-352-2514.