Charges held in throat-slashing over speeding
Charges were held Tuesday for a man who allegedly slashed his neighbor’s throat because he was asked to stop speeding down their South Union Township street.
Nicholas Michael Sokol, 21, of Uniontown is facing criminal attempt to commit homicide and related charges for the alleged assault on Kevin Lowry July 18. Sokol’s girlfriend, Marissa Dawn Engle, 19, of Uniontown was held for court on a simple assault charge for allegedly hitting Lowry with a driveway marker after he was stabbed.
Harry Fike, who owns the properties, testified that his daughter, Brandi Fike, went down to the Connor Street house to ask the couple not to speed down the road because dogs play in the area. He and her fiance, Kevin Lowry, walked down when the fight became heated.
Lowry testified, “When I walked down, I said to Nick, No. 1, you’re not going to talk to Brandi like that. No. 2, you’re not going to fly down the road and No. 3, you’re going to go back in the house and this is done.”
Lowry said that he turned to leave with his fiance when Sokol called her a whore. He said he turned back around and told him to go inside before he “kicked his (expletive)” when Sokol asked, “Do you wanna get cut?”
“I didn’t know what to say to that. I thought it would be a joke,” he said.
He realized the threat was serious when Sokol allegedly ran at him and stabbed him in the side.
“He stabbed me,” he said. “And then he fell on the ground.”
Lowry said he tried to get away, and Sokol stabbed him in the back. The two began struggling, and Sokol allegedly slashed his throat. Lowry said he picked the knife off the ground and threw it in the grass.
Harry Fike said he asked Sokol about the stabbing immediately afterward. Fike said Sokol claimed the stabbing was in self defense.
He testified he saw Lowry push Sokol away, but never hit him.
Fike testified paramedics struggled to control Lowry’s bleeding. He was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia, where he received 45 to 50 staples in the first wound and stitches in the others, according to testimony.
Harry Fike said he has known Sokol since he was 3-years-old, and never expected him to act violently over a request to stop speeding.
“We were shocked, to be quite honest,” he said. “We couldn’t understand what the problem would be over just slowing down.”
Sokol is free from jail after a $200,000 bond was posted on his behalf. Engle is free on a $25,000 unsecured bond.