Inset: DUI victim Roxanne Bonnoni (GoFundMe). Background: The Boots Bar in Brackenridge, Pa., where Jeffrey Glowatski was allegedly drinking before he killed Roxanne Bonnoni in a drunken car crash, cops say (Google Maps).
A Pennsylvania man is facing criminal charges for slamming into an 11-year-old girl with his vehicle after downing 12 beers at two different bars — allegedly striking her as she crossed the street while playing outside — in a deadly DUI crash last year, cops say.
Jeffrey Glowatski, 65, of Natrona Heights, is accused of killing Roxanne Bonnoni in August 2024 just moments after he left the Boots Bar in Brackenridge, according to local reports.
Police say Glowatski hit Roxanne, who was hearing impaired, while she was playing in front of her Harrison Township home on Kuntz Street at around 7:30 p.m., according to local CBS affiliate KDKA. Glowatski”s criminal complaint, obtained by TribLive.com, reportedly detailed how the defendant began tossing the beers back at around 2:45 p.m. and didn’t stop until about 7:15 p.m., when he left Boots Bar after allegedly drinking five 12-ounce servings.
The complaint alleged that Glowatski got into his Jeep Patriot and mowed Roxanne down within minutes of departing the bar. At least one witness saw the incident unfold and approached Glowatski’s vehicle afterward, per TribLive.com.
“I told him to turn the car off and give me the keys,” Jack Howard told the outlet. “I didn’t want him to leave.”
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According to the complaint, Glowatski spoke to officers who were called to the scene. Police said his speech was slurred and he refused to take sobriety tests.
Additional testing was done through the execution of a search warrant. Glowatski’s blood alcohol level turned out to be nearly double the legal limit — 0.153%, according to police.
Roxanne’s mother describes in a GoFundMe how her dad was home that night and watched everything unfold.
“Her father, Anthony Csizmadia, witnessed it happen and rushed to her, picking her up, holding her, and calling for help,” the GoFundMe description says.
“Unfortunately, nothing could be done to save her,” it adds. “This horrible person robbed them of her. The parents and siblings were not even permitted to see or touch her. Only under a sheet to speak and maybe say a prayer.”
With the anniversary of Roxanne’s death approaching, authorities charged Glowatski this week with driving under the influence and careless driving, according to online court records. He has not been charged in connection with Roxanne’s death.
“Recognizing there is nothing that will bring Roxanne back, the family is somewhat heartened by the diligence of the District Attorney’s Office and the prosecuting officers who have worked tirelessly to bring this family some justice,” said family lawyer Fred Rabner in a statement to local NBC affiliate WPXI.
Roxanne attended DePaul School and was getting ready to start classes at Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf before she was killed last year. Her family says she had “aspirations of being a cheerleader and soccer player,” according to her obituary.
“She was creative and enjoyed drawing, loved walking the beach, slime, and playing with her sister,” the obit says. “She loved ice cream and popsicles and was a happy go lucky child who loved jokes and had a great sense of humor.”
Asked if Glowatski could face additional charges related to the DUI crash, a district attorney’s office spokesperson told KDKA that “based on the evidence, the case has been appropriately charged.”
