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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/509713/duryea-man-charged-in-2014-fatal-crash-arrest-papers-say-he-had-heroin-and-other-drugs-in-his-system" target="_blank">A Duryea man who caused a fatal head-on crash on Dec. 8, 2014, in Jenkins Township</a> pleaded guilty to vehicular homicide charges Thursday.</p><p>According to Luzerne County District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis, Joseph Kaminski, 39, pleaded guilty to the death of Joan Ann Baiera, 71, of Pittston. Kaminski pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle with suspended license, DUI and driving with suspended license.</p><p>&#8220;Agreed upon plea of 5 to 10 years plus costs and restitution,&#8221; Salavantis said.</p><p>Police said Kaminski, who had a suspended driver&#8217;s license, also had morphine in his system the night of the crash.</p><p>Sentencing for Kaminski is set for Feb. 6, 2017.</p><p>The investigation into the accident took more than a year and was finished in February when Lackawanna County Coroner Tim Rowland ruled Baiera&#8217;s death a homicide. Rowland ruled on the manner of death because Baiera was pronounced dead at Community Medical Center in Scranton.</p><p>According to the criminal complaint, witnesses saw Kaminski&#8217;s 2002 Mitsubiski Galant cross the center land on River Road, near the Eighth Street Bridge and crash head-on into Baiera&#8217;s 2002 Pontiac Sunfire. Both Kaminski and Baiera were hospitalized and Baiera died from her injuries.</p><p>Kaminski voluntarily met with police, they said, and told police, after being advised of his constitutional rights, he looked down at his ringing cell phone located on the passenger seat as he was driving.</p><p>Police then obtained two search warrants &#8212; one to investigate the Mitsubiski and one for Kaminski&#8217;s blood test from Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township where he was taken after the crash. Tests conducted by Northern Tier Research in Dunmore later showed Kaminski had morphine in his system.</p><p>Accident reconstruction placed the point of impact in the southbound lane, four feet from the double centerline, according to police. There was no evidence at the scene, such as skid marks, that showed Kaminski attempted to avoid the crash.</p><p>Investigators reviewed Kaminski&#8217;s driving record and a search showed his license was suspended at the time of the crash. That suspension was one of three between July 2009 and May 2010 that were DUI-related.</p><p>Dr. Michael Coyer, a forensic toxicologist with Northern Tier, concluded Kaminski &#8220;was under the impairing psychoactive effects&#8221; of morphine and that they &#8220;would have rendered him incapable of properly operating a motor vehicle on the highway at the time of the crash.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Joseph Kaminski, left, of Duryea, is led from his arraignment in February for causing a fatal accident in December 2014. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_web1_kaminski-2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Joseph Kaminski, left, of Duryea, is led from his arraignment in February for causing a fatal accident in December 2014. </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox file photo | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Duryea man pleads guilty to vehicular homicide in death of Pittston woman