A pedestrian crash that killed a man Friday evening in Allentown was the result of an argument between the victim and a delivery driver, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said.
District Attorney Gavin Holihan told lehighvalleylive.com on Tuesday morning that 29-year-old Rigoberto “Rigo” Hernandez got into some type of altercation with a delivery driver just prior to the alleged hit-and-run accident. Hernandez left his car to confront the delivery driver in a van, Holihan said.
Investigators believe the victim was then deliberately struck and run over by the other driver, authorities had said.
There’s no indication Hernandez and the delivery driver knew each other previously, Holihan said. As of Tuesday morning, no one was in custody and no charges were filed in the case.
The incident unfolded just before 8 p.m. in the 2400 block of South Fourth Street. Hernandez was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township, where he was pronounced dead at 8:43 p.m. Friday.
Hernandez died from blunt force injuries suffered in the accident and the manner was ruled a homicide by Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio.
An online fundraiser has since been launched to financially offset funeral expenses for Hernandez’s immediate family. Family members include Hernandez’s wife of 10 years, Meicy, and the couple’s three children, ages 11, 7 and 3.
As of 9:15 a.m. Tuesday, 104 donors raised $40,845 of the $45,000 goal. The fundraiser is being organized by Joshua Gamez, CEO of East Coast Facilities, Inc., where Hernandez worked as a field supervisor with the Allentown-based Fleet and Logistics group for nearly a decade.
Gamez states in the GoFundMe posting that Hernandez immigrated to the United States to build a “safer, brighter future” for his family.
“In the wake of this unimaginable tragedy, Rigo’s family is facing not only the heartbreak of losing him, but also the sudden financial burden of funeral expenses and everyday living costs,” Gamez stated.
Investigators continue to seek witnesses and those with video surveillance footage of Friday’s incident. Those with information are asked to call Allentown Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division at 610-437-7721 or the police desk at 610-437-7753, Ext. 1.
Anonymous text tips can be sent via the Tip411 app on the Allentown Police Department’s Facebook Page or the Allentown Police Department’s website.
The incident remains under investigation by the Allentown Police Department, Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office and Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.