A Lebanon County man faces vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter charges in the two-vehicle crash on Route 422 in Womelsdorf last summer that killed a 72-year-old Robesonia man.
Womelsdorf police filed the charges against Sergio Q. Figueroa, 24, of Palmyra on Jan. 16 following an investigation of the June 28 crash. The state police accident reconstruction team assisted in the effort.
Data obtained from the air bag control module of Figueroa’s car revealed his eastbound car was traveling at 107 mph on Conrad Weiser Parkway, which is Route 422, when it collided with the side of the victim’s southbound car as that driver was attempting to cross the highway on North Water Street, investigators said.
Dennis Hitz, 72, was thrown from his car and pronounced dead of multiple injuries at the scene of the crash.
According to the probable cause affidavit:
A witness said the blue BMW driven by Figueroa pulled up to him while he was stopped at a red light about 6:30 p.m. The driver’s side door of the BMW opened and Figueroa said to him, erroneously, that the roadway merged to a single lane ahead.
As soon as the light changed the BMW sped off and was several car lengths ahead of the witness’ vehicle when it began to descend the downgrade approaching North Water Street.
The witness said he noticed a silver car moving slowly across the road before it was struck broadside.
Another motorist who witnessed the crash said the BMW passed him at the traffic light. He said that when he came over the hill, he saw a car that pulled out from a side street — North Water Street — and was struck by the BMW, which caused the other car to slam into a tree.
The data from the BMW’s air bag module showed the brakes were deployed one-half second before impact.
Medics were attending to Figueroa when police arrived. He was taken to Reading Hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries.
Police found a vape cartridge that contained THC, the principal psychoactive compound found in marijuana, in Figueroa’s car.
The trooper who reconstructed the crash noted that visibility approaching the intersection in the eastbound lanes is reduced by the downhill grade and right curve in the road.
However, he said the road consists of two through-travel lanes in both directions. Leading to the intersection with Water Street, a painted solid white line is used to divide the two eastbound lanes. The words, “Caution Left Turns” is painted on the left lane.
He concluded the BMW driver would have been able to stop to avoid the collision had he not been driving so recklessly, traveling more than twice the posted 50 mph speed limit.
Figueroa was arraigned Jan. 20 before District Judge Andrea J. Book in Jefferson Township, He remains free on $100,000 bail to await a hearing.