COOPERSBURG, Pa. – A man is charged in a fatal crash from April 2025, according to a press release from the Lehigh County DA Office.
Authorities say Kirk Chin Jr., 37, of Pottstown, is charged with Recklessly Endangering Another Person and Reckless Driving.
Chin surrendered Thursday and is free on $25,000 unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 23, according to the release.
Just before 3:30 a.m. on April 13, Coopersburg Police were called to a crash involving a tractor-trailer and a pedestrian in the 300 block of S. 3rd Street in the borough.
Police and paramedics say they provided aid to the victim, identified as David Mayers, who later succumbed to his injuries.
Mayers, 35, of Lower Macungie Township, died from blunt force injuries due to pedestrian/motor vehicle collision and his death was ruled accidental according to the Lehigh County Coroner.
The investigation included review of multiple videos, a vehicle inspection of the tractor-trailer, interviews with several witnesses, a visibility study and a full crash reconstruction.
Investigators say video from a local business and the tractor-trailer shows that Mayers was crossing Route 309, walking from the Exxon Station at 318 S. 3rd St. toward the Executive Inn. There is no pedestrian crosswalk at that location. Mayers was holding a cellphone, wearing dark clothing, and the area was poorly lit.
At the same time, Chin was driving northbound in the right lane of Route 309 at about 48 miles per hour. The posted speed limit in that area transitions from 55 mph to 35 mph. Interior video from the tractor-trailer shows Chin driving with his head back and eyes closed, and he did not react until after striking Mayers, the release says.
Crash investigators determined that Mayers entered the truck’s lane about three seconds before impact. Although the truck’s headlights would have been visible to Mayers, investigators say that Chin would not have been able to recognize Mayers as a pedestrian until the truck was about 200 feet away.
A fully loaded tractor-trailer traveling at 45–48 mph requires about 273 feet to stop, meaning there was not enough distance to avoid the crash once Mayers became visible, according to authorities.
Officials say while the evidence shows Chin’s inattentive driving posed a danger to others, it also shows that Mayers’ decision to cross a dark roadway outside a crosswalk while wearing dark clothing was a factor in causing this crash.
As a result, there is not enough evidence to support charges beyond those already filed.