Therman Wallace Jr., 9, was remembered by classmates and neighbors after police said a truck hit him and left the scene.
ROCHESTER, Pa. — A Monaca man has been charged after police said his truck struck and killed 9-year-old Therman Wallace Jr. as the boy rode a bicycle Friday evening in Rochester, a Beaver County borough northwest of Pittsburgh.
Thomas Earl Cole, 53, faces charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, accidents involving death or personal injury and DUI, according to court records and police accounts. The case has drawn grief from Therman’s school community and concern from neighbors who said the crash area is used by children on bikes and on foot. Cole was jailed without bond after his arraignment Saturday, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 7.
The crash happened shortly before 5 p.m. April 24 in the area of Pennsylvania Avenue and Lacock Street. Police and emergency crews were called for a report of a child struck by a vehicle. First responders tried life-saving measures, but medics pronounced Therman dead at the scene. Investigators said video showed a black truck turning and hitting the boy on his bicycle before leaving without stopping. Rochester Elementary School Principal Rachael Cipolla later called the death an “unimaginable loss” in a message to families. She said Rochester was more than a place of learning and that the school community felt the loss together.
Investigators later linked the truck to Cole and found him at his home, police said. According to the criminal complaint, officers reported smelling alcohol on Cole’s breath when they spoke with him. Police said Cole first denied being on the road that day, then asked an officer, “How can I get a DUI if I have been drinking at my house all day?” Investigators said Cole later told police he had been driving in the area because a road closure forced him to find another way home. He said he felt a bump while making a turn, looked back and believed he had struck a pile of rocks. Police said blood draw results were still pending after the arrest. The complaint also says Cole requested an attorney during the police contact.
Therman was a third-grade student in the Rochester Area School District. School officials and neighbors gathered Monday outside the elementary school, where children wrote chalk messages and drew hearts and crosses for their classmate. The district said support services would be available for students and staff. A remembrance was held Monday evening at the school, drawing families, classmates and neighbors who knew the boy from the neighborhood. Public obituary information listed Therman W. Wallace Jr. as a Rochester resident formerly of Arkansas. He was born June 15, 2016, in Magnolia, Arkansas, and died April 24, 2026.
Neighbors described the crash area as a place where children often ride bicycles and pass through on foot. Elizabeth Johnson, who said she takes her daughter to a nearby dance school, said the area had become busier because of a road closure on Adams Street. She said drivers had been using nearby streets as a cut-through and often traveled too fast. “You have to know that there’s a child there,” Johnson said. A neighbor also said a new 10 mph speed limit sign was installed on Lacock Street after the crash. Police have not said whether speed was a formal factor in the case.
The legal case is still in its early stage. Prosecutors are expected to present evidence at Cole’s May 7 preliminary hearing to show whether the charges should move forward in Beaver County court. The charges remain accusations, and court proceedings will determine how the case advances. The investigation has focused on the truck, video evidence, Cole’s statements to officers and the pending blood test results. As of Wednesday, Cole was being held in the Beaver County Jail without bond. Court records reviewed by local news outlets listed him as a Monaca resident.
Family notices and community tributes described Therman as an outgoing child who made friends easily. The notices said he enjoyed Minecraft, Roblox, UNO, fishing and riding bikes and four-wheelers with his brothers and friends. A fundraiser organized by Veronica Weideman, identified as Therman’s aunt, described him as a “bright, loving child” whose death left the family heartbroken. The fundraiser said the money would help cover funeral arrangements and other immediate expenses. By Wednesday, it had raised more than $38,000 toward a $55,000 goal.
Funeral services for Therman are scheduled for Saturday, May 2, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church in Rochester. Cole’s next court date is May 7, when the preliminary hearing is scheduled in the criminal case.
Author note: Last updated April 30, 2026.