A 25-year-old Houston truck driver is facing felony charges after police say his rig struck and killed another tractor-trailer driver who was standing on the shoulder of Interstate 78 in Bethel Township last Friday, then kept going. The victim, Phillip D. Henderson, 33, of Bessemer, Florida, had pulled onto the shoulder and was outside his flatbed adjusting cargo straps when he was hit, authorities said. He was later pronounced dead, according to investigators.
At an April 16 arraignment before District Judge Andrea J. Book, bail for the suspect, identified as Ameer H. Nassar, was set at $30,000. Nassar faces a felony count of accidents involving death, along with misdemeanor and summary traffic charges. Prosecutors have scheduled a preliminary hearing for next Wednesday to determine whether the case moves forward in the Berks County Court of Common Pleas, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
Arrest, Transport And Vehicle Processing
State police say that after obtaining an arrest warrant, they tracked Nassar to Louisiana. Pennsylvania collision-analysis and criminal-investigation teams traveled there to work with local authorities, process the suspected tractor-trailer and then escort Nassar back to Pennsylvania, according to Berks Weekly.
Officials say Nassar was transported to Berks County and is being held at the county jail in lieu of bail while the case moves through the courts.
What Happened On I-78
The crash unfolded late Friday morning on I-78 eastbound near Exit 13 in Bethel Township, around 11:15 a.m. Henderson was reportedly outside his truck working on the straps when he was struck. The Berks County coroner pronounced him dead at 12:20 p.m.
Investigators treated the incident as a hit-and-run as they worked to identify the vehicle that had left the scene, Lehigh Valley Live reported.
Police Seek Dashcam Footage
Pennsylvania State Police in Hamburg are asking for help from anyone who was driving eastbound on I-78 near mile marker 13.3 between about 11:00 and 11:20 a.m. that day.
Troopers are especially interested in dash-camera video or other recordings that might show a vehicle with passenger-side damage or a missing mirror, details they say could be key to the investigation, according to Berks Weekly.
Next Steps In Court
At next week’s preliminary hearing, prosecutors will lay out evidence to try to show there is probable cause to hold Nassar for trial in Berks County. If the case is bound over, he would face prosecution on the higher felony charges in the Court of Common Pleas.
The investigation remains active, and authorities continue to urge anyone with dashcam footage or information to contact Pennsylvania State Police in Hamburg or Crime Alert Berks County. As the legal process ramps up, Henderson’s family and members of the trucking community are watching closely, waiting for more answers about what unfolded on the shoulder of I-78.
