ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A 29-year-old pedestrian who died Friday in a hit-and-run had confronted the driver after believing the driver had struck the victim’s own vehicle, the district attorney said.
The victim, Rigiberto Hernandez Arias, tracked down the delivery van that he believed had earlier struck his car by following it through the city, said Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan.
“They came to the same location at South Fourth Street and Emaus Avenue,” Holihan said. “(Hernandez) got out of his car and confronted the driver of the van.
“The victim ended up on the hood or windshield of the van and the van driver drove away with (Hernandez) still on the vehicle. He apparently fell off in the 2400 block of South Fourth Street.”
The van driver did not stop but police were able to locate the vehicle within an hour or two, using license plate readers positioned throughout the city, Holihan said.
Authorities have identified the van driver and his employer, Holihan said, but are not releasing that information amid the ongoing investigation.
It happened just before 8 p.m. Friday near the city’s border with Salisbury Township.
“No charges have been filed yet,” Holihan said Tuesday. "The investigation is still ongoing. Evidence is being processed and search warrants are being served and processed.”
"The best information we have at this point is that (the victim) got out of his sedan and apparently was trying to take pictures or videos of the driver of the van.”Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan
Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio said Hernandez was run over and died of blunt force injuries. Buglio ruled the manner of death homicide.
Hernandez was a father of three, according to a GoFundMe organized by his employer, East Coast Facilities Inc.
Holihan told LehighValleyNews.com that witnesses and video have aided in the investigation.
“From the witnesses and video we have, we can see some of the altercation but it’s not entirely clear,” Holihan said of the scene. “We’re confident the driver of the sedan had a cell phone in his hand. We have no current information to indicate he had a weapon.
"The best information we have at this point is that he got out of his sedan and apparently was trying to take pictures or videos of the driver of the van.”
Holihan said the two men did not know each other. He said investigators are working to determine exactly how Hernandez ended up on the front of the van.
“We’re trying to sort that out,” Holihan said. “Did he jump up on the van himself? Was he in front of it and the van drove at him and he jumped up to get or out of harm’s way? That’s something we don’t know yet.
“We’re still trying to get a clear picture from some of the witnesses and if we can find video that’s more clear.”
Holihan asked that any person or business with video recordings near South Fourth Street and Emaus Avenue contact Allentown police.
Police say to call the criminal investigations division at 610-437-7721, or the police desk at 610-437-7753 Ext. 1. Also, anonymous text tips can be sent via the department’s Tips411 app.
