WHITEHALL TWP., Pa. – A Whitehall Township man is being accused of hitting and killing a bicyclist with his vehicle then fleeing the scene.
Harrison Odere, 51, is charged with felony counts of Homicide by Vehicle, Hit and Run causing Death or Serious Bodily Injury and misdemeanor charges of Involuntary Manslaughter and summary charges of Reckless Driving, Careless Driving, Duty to Give Information and Render Aid and Traffic Control Signals, the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office said in a news release.
Around 1:15 p.m. Dec. 31, 2025, Whitehall Police were called to a crash involving a vehicle and a bicycle at the intersection of MacArthur Road and Sutler Drive, the DA’s office said.
The DA’s office said officers found the victim nearby, identified as 39-year-old Nickolas Andrew Siegfried.
Siegfried died from multiple blunt force trauma due to bicycle/motor vehicle collision and his death was ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner, according to the news release.
The investigation revealed that Siegfried had been crossing MacArthur Road on a bicycle traveling east to west from the westbound lane of Sutler Drive when he was hit by an SUV driven by Odere.
The DA’s office said witnesses identified the vehicle and said it failed to stop after the crash and fled the scene.
A Whitehall Township officer responding to the crash saw an SUV matching the description of the one involved in the fatal crash that was located about a half mile away, according to the DA’s office.
The SUV had a smashed windshield and was driven by Odere, the DA’s office said.
The investigation showed Odere’s vehicle failed to stop at a steady red light and did not try to brake or slow down before or after the collision, according to the DA’s office.
Odere was arraigned July 1 before District Judge Todd Heffelfinger and is free on $50,000 unsecured bail.
Odere’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. July 7.