A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to three to six months in jail after a drunk driving crash that killed an 11-year-old partially deaf girl. Jeffrey Glowatski, 65, struck Roxanne Bonnoni while she played outside her home in August 2024. The incident occurred shortly after Glowatski left a bar, with his blood alcohol level nearly double the legal limit.
In August 2024, around 7:30 p.m., 11-year-old Roxanne Bonnoni was playing in front of her home on Kuntz Street in Harrison Township, Pennsylvania, when Jeffrey Glowatski's Jeep struck her. Glowatski, 65, had been drinking at two bars that day, including five 12-ounce beers at Boots Bar in nearby Brackenridge until about 7:15 p.m. His blood alcohol level was measured at 0.153%, nearly double the legal limit of 0.08%, according to police reports.
Roxanne's father, Anthony Csizmadia, witnessed the crash from their home and rushed to her side, holding her as she died. A family member later described on GoFundMe how Csizmadia saw the incident unfold and called for help, though the parents and siblings were only allowed brief access under a sheet. Roxanne, who was partially deaf and attended DePaul School, was set to start at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf and had dreams of becoming a cheerleader and soccer player. She was killed just two months before her 12th birthday.
Glowatski pleaded guilty to three counts of DUI and careless driving. The district attorney's office did not pursue homicide by vehicle charges. On Wednesday, Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski sentenced him to three to six months in county jail. During the hearing, Csizmadia addressed the court, stating, "God did not decide it was Roxanne's time to die. This was a selfish, careless and completely preventable choice." He added, "The dead cannot cry out for justice, and so it is the duty of the living to do so."
Roxanne's mother, Amber Bonnoni, spoke of her daughter's lost future: "The future I dreamed for my daughter—her learning, her laughter, her curiosity, and her joy—is gone." The judge remarked, "Her father put it best. This was not an accident. This was a choice. The sentence has to reflect the death and the impact on the remaining family members."
Glowatski's attorney, David Shrager, defended the sentence, saying the district attorney's office and judge acted based on facts and law. Co-counsel Frankie Exler called it a tragic accident that changed many lives, noting that Glowatski drove after drinking but that two things could be true simultaneously.
A witness, Jack Howard, approached Glowatski's vehicle after the crash and demanded he turn off the car and surrender the keys to prevent him from leaving.
