Two men who pleaded guilty in a road rage incident that killed the co-founder of Loyalty Barber Shop were each sentenced to serve up to 5 years in prison.
John Darko and Paul Viscomi pleaded guilty in June to involuntary manslaughter in the March 2024 death of Brian Nardella, a barber from West Scranton. Lackawanna County Judge Margaret Moyle on Friday sentenced Darko, of Glenburn Twp., to 25-60 months and Viscomi, of Scott Twp., to 30-60 months. Both received maximum sentences for the charge, Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher said.
An investigation of the March 27 crash determined Darko and Viscomi were involved in a road rage incident on Keyser Avenue. Nardella, who started his Archbald business in 2012, was an unassuming victim.
Before the sentences were handed down, Nardella’s wife Lynne read a statement directed at Darko and Viscomi.
“The love between Brian and I was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of love, one that is rarely found, and you both literally took him away from me in the blink of an eye,” she told the men.
“Your actions on that fateful Wednesday last March robbed me of my life’s happiness and all the joy that came along with it.”
Gallagher described Lynne Nardella as both “emotional and composed,” as she spoke before the court.
In his statement on behalf of the prosecution, Gallagher said, “This is not just about punishing two men. It is about sending a message to this community that reckless driving is not a harmless thrill. It destroys lives. It tears families apart. It leaves widows standing alone every day asking why their husband is gone.”
Lynne Nardella said she believed the sentences were fair.
“I love Brian more than ever and will continue to honor him every second for the rest of my days,” she said.
Nardella (SUBMITTED)
Road rage preceded death
First responders found Nardella unresponsive and trapped in his SUV, which was flipped on its roof in a parking lot at the bottom of an embankment on the northbound side of Keyser Avenue. He was still secured in the driver’s seat with his seat belt on, police said.
Darko was lying in the grass on the northbound side of Keyser Avenue with an apparent broken left leg and right arm after he was ejected from his 2006 Chevy Silverado, according to police. Darko was conscious and alert.
Crews extricated Nardella and transported him to Geisinger Community Medical Center, where he died.
While police were at the scene, Viscomi approached them and said he was involved in the crash. He said he was traveling south on Keyser Avenue in his 2014 GMC Sierra when Darko came up on his right. As the right lane was ending, Darko sped up to merge, striking Viscomi’s passenger side mirror, front fender and wheel, Viscomi said. Darko then lost control, crossing the double lines and hitting Nardella head-on, Viscomi told police.
Investigators with the Scranton Police Department and state police ultimately refuted Viscomi’s account of the crash after reviewing security camera footage from nearby businesses and analyzing Viscomi’s own dash camera footage.
Footage from a business in the 1600 block of North Keyser Avenue showed Darko and Viscomi both speeding and driving recklessly while “jockeying for position with their trucks,” according to their arrest paperwork. The footage captured Darko speeding and attempting to merge in front of Viscomi, who intentionally sped up to prevent Darko from entering his lane, according to police.
In the video, Darko manages to get the nose of his truck past Viscomi and tries to merge. When Viscomi speeds up to block him, Darko hits a curb and then Viscomi’s vehicle. Darko loses control and spins out, crossing the double yellow lines into the oncoming traffic and striking Nardella’s vehicle, according to court papers.
The impact pushed Nardella’s Honda Passport backward and over a small embankment, causing it to roll over onto its roof, according to police. Darko’s truck spun violently after the impact, ejecting Darko through the passenger window.
State police reconstructed the crash and forensically analyzed Viscomi’s dash camera footage, determining Darko was driving at least 61 mph before the collision, and Viscomi accelerated from 20 mph to at least 53 mph to stop Darko from merging. Nardella attempted to maneuver out of the way, and his airbag module showed he was driving at 30 mph, below the posted speed limit of 34 mph.