— Jeff Ward, Lehigh Valley News Briefs
Here it is, right from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan. It’s a frightening list of bad driver behavior that puts everybody at risk.
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Oct.14, 2024
District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan is providing updates on several recent fatal and serious crashes that have occurred.
Each time a serious or fatal accident occurs, the Lehigh County Crash Reconstruction Team, law enforcement and an assistant district attorney responds to the scene to advise police in conducting their investigation, a critical step in helping properly preserve and collect evidence. Some of these investigations can be quite lengthy to determine exactly what has occurred by analyzing video evidence, mechanical data from the vehicles involved and witness statements as well as a reconstruction of the crash.
Two crashes that occurred this weekend remain under investigation and two others that occurred on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 were determined to be not criminal as the investigation revealed the victims were at fault.
We are also seeking the public’s help to come forward with information about these crashes.
The most recent fatal accident occurred just before 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the 700 block of Central Boulevard in Bethlehem, Lehigh County.
Ezequiel Hernandez-Cartagena, 20, of Allentown, was pronounced dead at an area hospital. Hernandez-Cartagena died from blunt force injuries and his death was ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner.
The investigation remains ongoing as to the identity of the driver in an accident that claimed the life of Hernandez-Cartagena. A Honda Accord was traveling northbound on Central Boulevard, following two other vehicles. The Honda attempted to pass the two vehicles, lost control and slid on the passenger side into a telephone pole on the west side of the road.
After the accident occurred, the driver fled the area into the woods. Both Bethlehem and Allentown officers searched the area in an attempt to locate him, but were unsuccessful.
An accident occurred at 2:35 p.m. on Oct. 11 on American Parkway, just north of the intersection of Bradford Street in Allentown.
The vehicle involved, a Nissan Maxima, had been reported stolen earlier that day in Allentown. Two teens, ages 14 and 15, were both injured. The driver, whose name will not be released due to his age, was seriously injured. A passenger inside the car also received minor injuries in the accident.
An investigation showed that the car was traveling at an extremely high rate of speed when the car lost control and crashed into a streetlight pole before flipping over.
A fatal crash occurred around 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 4 at West Saucon Valley Circle and Center Valley Parkway in Upper Saucon Township. A SUV driven by Allen Cassaday, DOB 3/11/92, of Center Valley, was turning left from eastbound Center Valley Parkway into the western entrance to the Promenade Shoppes. His wife was in the front passenger seat.
As the Cassaday’s vehicle turned left, a motorcycle driven by Jorge Pickett, 34, of Bethlehem, went through the steady red light for westbound traffic on Center Valley Parkway and struck the SUV. Pickett died from multiple blunt force injuries and his death was ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner.
An investigation determined Pickett was at fault and both Cassaday and his wife were seriously injured in the crash.
A fatal crash occurred on Oct. 5 at 10:37 in Upper Macungie Township at the intersection of West Tilghman Street and Werley Road. A vehicle driven by Judith Crossley of Upper Macungie Township was headed eastbound on West Tilghman Street in the right lane to turn onto Werley Road.
A car driven by Stephen La Pierre, 66, of Upper Macungie Township, sideswiped Crossley’s vehicle, struck a curb and crossed all lanes on Tilghman Street before hitting a lamp pole and became airborne. La Pierre was ejected in the crash and died from multiple blunt force injuries and his death was ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner.
An investigation into this crash determined La Pierre’s car had been speeding just prior to the accident.
Although the investigation is ongoing and it is unclear whether La Pierre suffered a medical emergency that caused or contributed to the accident, it is clear that La Pierre was the cause of the accident, and therefore no criminal charges will be filed.
There have been media inquiries into the status of fatal/serious accident and crash investigations and we are releasing these details to make the public aware of the serious consequences that occur when someone is driving recklessly or speeding. Not only do they put themselves at risk, but they endanger the lives of others not engaging in risky behavior.
Lehigh Valley News Briefs 