A Freemansburg man is charged with homicide by vehicle in the death of a Bethlehem Township man who died after he fell off a moving car in May.
Zachary Barndt, 30, was arraigned Friday on charges alleging he was driving the vehicle that Daniel Maffea was riding on, and fled after Maffea fell off the back. Maffea, 20, was injured in the May 22 crash in Bethlehem Township, and died from his injuries about two weeks later.
Barndt is also charged with accidents involving death of personal injury and aggravated assault by vehicle, as well as misdemeanor offenses of recklessly endangering another person and involuntary manslaughter, and several summary traffic violations.
Authorities have said Maffea was riding on a closed trunk of a vehicle as it was traveling across Madison Boulevard in the Madison Farms Shopping Center off Freemansburg Avenue.
Investigators viewed surveillance footage from a nearby business, which showed Maffea falling from the sedan, according to a Northampton County District Attorney’s Office news release. Barndt and passengers got out of the vehicle to check on him, the release states. Barndt left the scene in his car, then returned on foot, authorities said.
When police arrived, Barndt walked away from the scene and returned later, the DA’s office said.
Investigators determined he did not have a valid driver’s license at the time, and the vehicle he used did not have a current inspection, registration or proof of insurance, according to the release.
Barndt remains free on $250,000 unsecured bail. A message left for his attorney was not immediately returned Monday.
Maffea was a volunteer firefighter with the Fountain Hill Fire Co., according to his obituary. Chief Lee Reisling, in a statement after Maffea’s death, said Maffea was no longer an active member, but was a valued part of the service.
“His service to the community and the relationships he built with those who had the privilege of serving alongside him left a lasting impression,” the chief said.
Described as someone with a strong work ethic, he was also a landscaper at ABC Lawn and Landscaping, and a part-time employee at Aluminodi Customs in Allentown, his obituary states.