Crime & Safety
Driver in Fatal Hit-and-Run Turns Himself In
A Bristol Township man turned himself in to police Tuesday and admitted he was driving the car that hit John Rearick, who later died from the injuries.
Jonathan H. Simmons, 27, of Bristol Township, surrendered to police Tuesday, and admitted he drove the Cadillac that struck a Croydon man July 22, according to phillyburbs.com.
, 23, was struck while crossing New Falls Road in Middletown just after midnight. He died from the injuries July 28.
Video surveillance footage shows Simmons’ Cadillac travelling westbound on New Falls Road near the and coming to a stop after the collision. Then the driver steers around Rearick’s body and turns left into the Plumbridge section of Levittown.
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Simmons said he was picking up a prescription for his pregnant girlfriend and was on his way home.
Rearick’s mother, , posted a message on Patch asking to keep the story going in hopes the driver would turn himself in. Seventeen days after the accident, and after he “consulted with his minister,” Simmons did just that.
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If found guilty, Simmons could spend one to seven years in prison for a third-degree felony, leaving the scene of a fatal accident.
He also was charged with reckless endangerment, driving with a suspended license, failing to help a victim, and failing to report an accident, according to the report.
Bail for Simmons was set at $500,000.
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