Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug-Fueled Wreck That Killed His Wife

A husband blamed for a drug-related car accident that killed his wife is sentenced to spend three to six years in state prison.

David Bartley, 50, of Milesburg was driving under the influence of Alprazolam and Oxycodone when he ran off the road and hit a tree on the Benner Pike in College Township on July 3, 2012.

Forty three-year-old Susan Bartley, who was a passenger, was killed. David Bartley originally told police that his wife was driving.

Witnesses disputed that account and told investigators they saw David Bartley exiting the vehicle from the driver’s side. DNA evidence also contradicted Bartley’s story.

Eventually, Bartley told officers that he was driving without a valid driver’s license when the accident happened.

Bartley pleaded guilty to numerous charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, DUI, unsafe driving, and driving with a suspended license.

Additionally, while those charges were pending, Bartley was caught stealing a cell phone from a CVS Pharmacy in Bellefonte. He also pleaded guilty to retail theft.

Centre County District Attorney, Stacy Parks Miller says, “It was a new low to see someone get high and crash a car, killing their spouse, and then turn around and try to blame the crash on their deceased spouse.”