Kristal E. Obuzor, 34, of Pittsburgh, was charged on September 3, 2025, with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer, careless driving, driving on roadways laned for traffic, and obedience to traffic control devices.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, on August 22, 2025, around 7:46 p.m., State Police at Frackville received a report of a Subaru traveling erratically near mile marker 119 on Interstate 81 northbound in Ryan Township. The caller reported the vehicle had its four-way flashers on and was swerving between lanes.
A Trooper later observed the Subaru traveling at high speed near mile marker 124.5. The trooper activated emergency lights and sirens, but Obuzor allegedly refused to stop, at times reaching 86 mph in a 65-mph zone, weaving between lanes, nearly striking another vehicle, and even straddling the dotted line between lanes.
During the pursuit, the trooper maneuvered in front of Obuzor’s car to make sure she could see the marked patrol vehicle with lights and siren activated. Instead, Obuzor allegedly flashed her high beams at the cruiser. The chase was terminated at mile marker 136 due to safety concerns for other motorists.
Investigators later confirmed Obuzor as the driver after reviewing registration records and interviewing her mother, Marjorie Liese, who co-owns the car. Liese told troopers that Obuzor had left for New York on August 20 to attend a Broadway show and was the only one who drove the vehicle. She also disclosed that Obuzor suffers from psychosis, bipolar disorder, and high-functioning autism, and had recently begun a new prescription that had caused manic behavior.
Further investigation revealed that just hours after the pursuit, Obuzor was involved in a crash at SCI Waymart in Wayne County, where she drove into a ditch. She was transported to Wayne Memorial Hospital under a mental health warrant.
With evidence collected from the pursuit and subsequent investigation, charges were filed against Obuzor in Schuylkill County through Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli's office in Frackville.
Obuzor will answer to the above charges during a preliminary hearing on October 15th, 2025 before Judge Tarantelli.