Truck driver ran over 9-year-old on a bike and just kept going, cops say

A bike ride ended in tragedy when a 9-year-old boy in Pennsylvania was fatally hit by a truck – and investigators say the driver kept going, later telling police that he thought he had only struck a pile of rocks.

Authorities say the crash happened around 5 p.m. Friday near Pennsylvania Avenue and Lacock Street in Rochester, a suburb northwest of Pittsburgh.

Therman Wallace, 9, was riding his bike when a black truck turned right and hit him, according to a criminal complaint obtained by WPXI. Surveillance video allegedly captured the truck failing to stop after the collision.

The truck was registered to 53-year-old Thomas Earl Cole, who was later taken into custody at his home by Rochester police. He has been charged with vehicular homicide while driving under the influence in the death of the boy, according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.

Cole also faces additional charges, including accidents involving death or personal injury and DUI, after officers reportedly detected “an odor of an intoxicating beverage on his breath” when they spoke with him.

open image in gallery

“How can I get a DUI if I have been drinking at my house all day?” he allegedly asked an officer.

Police say Cole later admitted he had been driving in the area, trying to find his way home due to a road closure. He told investigators he felt a bump but, when he looked back, saw only what he believed was a pile of rocks.

Cole was arrested and booked into the Beaver County Jail without bail. He was arraigned Saturday and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on May 7.

A GoFundMe organized by Therman’s aunt describes him as a “bright, loving child whose life was taken far too soon, leaving our hearts broken and our community shaken.”

“My sister and her husband are facing the overwhelming pain of losing their son, and we are doing everything we can to support them during this difficult time,” the fundraiser states. “Please, slow down and watch our babies that play on these roads.”

open image in gallery

According to his obituary, Therman was a “very outgoing” child who made friends wherever he went and enjoyed Minecraft, Roblox, UNO, fishing, and riding four-wheelers and bikes with his brothers and friends.

In a letter to families, Rochester Elementary Principal Rachael Cipolla said Therman was a third-grade student. A remembrance was held Monday evening at the school.

“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. “In times like this, finding the right words is difficult. 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.”