Motorcycle driver, motor scooter rider dead in separate Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, crashes, DA says
Two people are dead and two others are in custody after separate crashes Friday night in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, the district attorney said.
Local police and the DA's office are investigating both incidents.
Salisbury Township motorcycle crash
A 39-year-old man from Fountain Hill was riding a motorcycle westbound on the 1100 block of East Susquehanna Street in Salisbury Township, Pennsylvania, on Friday when he was hit and killed by an SUV, according to a news release from Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin P. Holihan.
The driver in the SUV was headed east on East Susquehanna Street, then crossed into the opposite lane to pass another car before crashing into the motorcycle driver head-on just after 9 p.m., Holihan said.
The victim was wearing a helmet. The SUV driver was taken into custody, and criminal charges are pending.
Allentown motor scooter crash
Police in Allentown are investigating an unrelated crash that killed a woman riding a motor scooter Friday night.
Around 11:35 p.m., the 42-year-old woman and two other people were riding motor scooters on the 1600 block of South 4th Street when an SUV struck the victim's scooter from behind, Holihan said.
The driver of the SUV, whom Holihan identified as Eliezer Julius Santiago, 22, of Allentown, tried to flee the scene but was taken into custody when he nearly struck a police vehicle headed to the scene of the crash, according to Holihan.
Witnesses told police Santiago was driving erratically before the crash, and cameras in the area captured the incident, Holihan said.
Santiago is in jail and is facing charges including aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, driving without a license, reckless driving and related counts.
Because the victim died after the initial charges were filed, Holihan said his office will file additional charges soon.
The victim was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, officials said.
