Man charged in student’s death

Six months after his death, family and friends are seeing to it that Sam Reed’s memory lives… Six months after his death, family and friends are seeing to it that Sam Reed’s memory lives on.

Reed, 19, of Reading, Pa., was the victim of a hit-and-run at approximately 2:24 a.m. Sept. 1 when he attempted to cross the Parkway East. He was only a week into his sophomore year at Pitt.

Judah David Simon, of Penn Hills, surrendered to local police hours after Reed was hit.

According to court documents, Simon is charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving, speeding, driving while intoxicated, fleeing the scene of an accident and possession of an unlicensed handgun.

A preliminary hearing in the case will be held on Wednesday.

Sam’s mother Peggy Reed wants Pitt students to know that her son’s death was an accident and that there are still many unanswered questions.

“As a mother, I truly feel like I need for people to know this was really an act of negligence on behalf of the defendant,” she said. “We just don’t want people to think Sam was drunk and meandering around the highway and got lost.”

Reed’s cell phone was also recovered at the scene of the accident. His family tried to contact the last few people who called him.

The Reed family is still unable to get a complete story that explains why Sam was on the Parkway and have hired private investigators to try to piece everything together.

Reed also wants the Pitt community to know what Sam’s family and friends are doing in remembrance of her son.

“We are planning an annual four-mile race, and we are funding a scholarship that will go to a graduating student from the high school [Sam] graduated from,” she said.

Sam was a former cross country runner at Schuylkill Valley High School in Berks County.

The non-profit race will take place Aug. 24 along Tulpehocken Creek in Berks County. A race application can be downloaded and completed on the race’s website, run4sam.net. Prospective sponsors can also make donations to support the event.

All proceeds will be used to fund the operation and maintenance of the Union Canal Trail, where Sam used to train, and the scholarship in his name.

The scholarship will be managed by the Berks County Community Foundation.

The family designed it for a student like Sam.

“There are preferences beside the GPA and someone going to or applying to Pitt,” Reed said. “The preferences include someone who is a distance runner, someone who wants to pursue a degree in history, anthropology or archaeology.”

Reed is optimistic about the event and feels that it will help everyone keep Sam in their hearts.

“We’re very lucky that even in this devastating loss, we have this amazing support and this link to him. I feel like I run in his footsteps,” she said.

She added that his experiences at Pitt were probably the best times of Sam’s life and that it was the best place for him to be.

“Samuel absolutely loved Pitt, loved Pittsburgh, loved his classes and worked for the Pitt Programs Council. He grew and matured so much there,” Reed said.

“I guess one of the saddest things is that we’re not just mourning his loss, we’re mourning the loss of what could have been.”