HONESDALE, PA — Lisa Barnes, of Johnson City, NY, has been charged with Leaving the Scene of a deadly crash that took the life of Franklin Pauler. Bail was set at an unsecured amount of $150,000. The  Defendant’s next court appearance is at central court on September 6.  

On Friday, August 11, Pennsylvania State Police dispatched to 963 Creek Drive, Clinton  Township, Wayne County for a reported Hit and Run crash. The fleeing vehicle was described as a White Cadillac traveling north on Creek Drive.  

Upon our arrival to the scene, Franklin Pauler was observed unresponsive and suffering from a  severe bleeding injury to his head in a driveway. Emergency personnel on the scene were attempting to stabilize his condition. Fire and EMS personnel on scene were able to stabilize the victim and transported him to the parking lot of Prompton State Park where he was then airlifted to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Trauma Center.  

A short time later after the crash scene was cleared, Pennsylvania State Police matched the description of the vehicle involved in the crash from an assistance for directions by another state trooper that occurred in the area of Prompton State Park on Creek Drive north a few minutes before the crash. A review of the in-car MVR System was able to obtain vehicle Registration Pennsylvania LXY4614. The vehicle registration was run through PENNDOT  CLEAN NCIC and provided the registered owner Frederick Barnes of Susquehanna Borough Susquehanna County Pennsylvania.  

Pennsylvania State Troopers from Gibson Station went to the address and made contact with a  female who advised that the vehicle was registered to her boyfriend, Frederick Barnes, but is driven by his daughter, Lisa Barnes, who resides in Johnson City.

On the following day, August 12, state police were contacted by an attorney representing  Lisa Barnes. Lisa Barnes turned herself in to authorities for the crash and cooperated with the investigation.  

The Cadillac that was driven by the defendant was observed to have damages to its passenger side front mirror, fender, windshield, and bumper areas.  

In an interview with the state police, the defendant related that she was trying to find a friend’s residence to attend a gathering but due to cellular telephone services in the area, her GPS on her cellular telephone was not working.  

She related that she was distracted by texting friends to help her find her destination, by her dog being in the  vehicle, and trying to work her GPS application. She related that she looked down at her cell phone, veered out of the lane of travel, and struck what she believed to be a mailbox. She said that she was unfamiliar with the area, frustrated with not being able to find her destination,  damaged her vehicle, and proceeded to return to her residence.  

Later in the day, August 12, the Chief Deputy Luzerne County Coroner contacted PSP Honesdale and related that Franklin Pauler died at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Trauma  Center from the injuries sustained in the crash. 

*The filing of criminal charges is not evidence of guilt but simply a description of the charge made by the Commonwealth against a defendant. A charged Defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the Commonwealth has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant enters a guilty plea to the charges.*