Driver whose car slammed into a Montco house, killing a sleeping woman, charged with homicide

The driver of a car that slammed into a house in Franconia Township earlier this month, killing a sleeping 86-year-old woman, has been charged vehicular homicide and related offenses, authorities said.

Officials said Joseph Bezanis, 21, of Telford, was behind the wheel of a 1995 Toyota that went off the road at a curve and slammed into a home on Harleysville Pike at a speed of about 80 mph on April 6.

The car smashed through the wall and into a bedroom, killing Marianne Lambert, officials said.

The Montgomery County District Attorney's Office said toxicology tests showed Bezanis had a blood alcohol level of 0.17, more than twice the legal limit, and had traces of THC, the active component of marijuana, in his system.

"The defendant's decision to use marijuana as well as drink at a local bar turned deadly when he got behind the wheel of his vehicle and drove impaired," District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement. "The defendant turned his vehicle into a lethal weapon that killed a grandmother as she was sleeping in her bed. His actions have left a family without a matriarch and have forever affected their feelings of safety in their own home."

Bezanis was arraigned Monday on charges of vehicular homicide DUI, DUI, reckless endangerment, reckless driving, and other offenses. He was released after posting $100,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is set for April 30.