No criminal charges will be filed against a Richboro man who was involved in a fatal pedestrian accident in Northampton earlier this year, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office confirmed Friday.
The police investigation into the hit-and-run accident found the driver was not at fault in the crash, Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Matt Hoover said.
“In addition, the investigation revealed insufficient evidence that after impact the driver knew, or should have known, that he caused injury or death to any person in the crash,” Hoover said.
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| Christine Witte |
Christine Witte, 51, who had recently moved from Perkasie to Northampton, was killed after she was struck around 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 27 near her family’s home. Police said her body was found in the middle of Jacksonville Road.
The driver who struck Witte, whose name was not released, contacted police after he realized his Dodge minivan may have been involved in the accident.
The driver told police that he knew he hit something but he didn’t realize it was a person. When he arrived at the Warminster train station — where police found his vehicle — he looked and saw some damage to the front of his car and missing molding, police said.
He took the train to his job in Philadelphia, but said that something was nagging him about the incident. He asked a friend to check the accident scene and that was how he found out about Witte’s death, police said.
The initial police investigation suggested that Witte may have been struck by at least one other car before she was hit by the minivan, because the damage to the minivan was not consistent with an accident involving a pedestrian. But now police say they believe only the minivan was involved.
Police do not know what Witte was doing in the middle of Jacksonville Road when she was struck, but she was dressed in regular clothing and wearing a coat.
After the accident, several witnesses called to report they saw a woman standing near the driveway in front of where the woman was struck about 6 a.m.
Witte worked for more than 20 years as a cashier at Giant Food Store in Perkasie. She was also a dance instructor at Elite Dance Academy in Richboro.
Jo Ciavaglia: 215-949-4181;email: jciavaglia@calkins.com; Twitter: @jociavaglia
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| The mini van involved in the fatal hit and run |
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