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| Fatal hit and run suspect Jonathan Simmons |
A Bristol Township man with a suspended driver’s license has been charged in a hit-and-run accident that fatally injured a 23-year-old Bristol Township man last month.
Jonathan Simmons, 27, of Atkins Avenue, surrendered to Middletown police Tuesday and was arraigned on charges of accident involving death or injury, reckless endangerment and three summary traffic violations: driving while suspended, failure to stop and render aid and failure to notify police.
The most serious charge is accident involving death or injury, a third-degree felony that carries a maximum seven-year prison sentence, if convicted.
Police say that Simmons, a father of two with a third child on the way, was driving his father’s red 2001 Cadillac Deville westbound on the 4900 block of New Falls Road about 12:30 a.m. July 21 when he allegedly struck John Rearick.
Rearick was hit from behind as he walked in the road’s travel lanes, according to a probable cause affidavit. He suffered massive head trauma and a ruptured spleen and died of his injuries July 28.
A passing motorist who stopped to help Rearick told police that a red Cadillac sedan left the scene and made a left turn into the Plumbridge section of Levittown.
Bristol Township police followed a trail of fluid from the damaged car from the scene and through Plumbridge to Veterans Highway before they lost it, according to Middletown police Lt. Ken Mellus.
Two days after the accident, Middletown police obtained surveillance video of the crash from Penn Jersey Auto, which is across the street from the accident scene.
The black-and-white footage confirmed what the passing motorist initially described: a car consistent with a Cadillac sedan pulled around Rearick after hitting him and seconds later turned left into Plumbridge, according to the affidavit.
Despite the video, Middletown police had no leads directing them to Simmons as a suspect, Mellus said.
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| Victim John Rearick |
On Tuesday, Simmons, accompanied by his attorney, Louis Busico, turned himself in to Middletown police and admitted to driving the Cadillac at the time of the accident, the affidavit said. The car was turned over to police as evidence.
At Simmons' arraignment before Middletown District Judge John Kelly Jr., Busico said that his client works two jobs -- at a local dairy and a liquor store. He has no criminal record, though he has several traffic violations, including two prior convictions for driving while suspended or revoked, according to a check of online criminal records.
With Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Matt Hoover’s approval, Kelly released Simmons on $500,000 unsecured bail, but as part of his release he is forbidden to drive.
Following his arraignment, Simmons declined comment.
No friends or family of Rearick's attended the arraignment. A family member said the Rearicks were not allowed to be at the arraignment and that Simmons was escorted out another door at the police station while the family met with the district attorney.
Later Tuesday afternoon, no one was at the Rearick’s home in the Junewood section of Levittown.
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