A 24-year-old driver is facing homicide and reckless driving charges after police say he crossed a double yellow line on Daly Avenue in South Bethlehem, struck a man pushing a bicycle in a marked crosswalk, and then abandoned his car and ran off on foot. Gian C. Bajandas Correa was found near the Minsi Trail Bridge and was arraigned in connection with the crash, with bail set at $250,000.
According to NBC10 Philadelphia, the crash happened around 4:05 p.m. Monday at Daly Avenue and Wind Creek Boulevard. Officials said Bajandas Correa was driving at a high rate of speed along Lynn Avenue before his vehicle lost traction during a turn onto Daly Avenue and crossed the double yellow line to pass another vehicle. His car first collided with a second vehicle, whose driver suffered only minor injuries, and then continued on to strike the pedestrian in the crosswalk, officials said.
The pedestrian struck in the crash was taken to a nearby hospital, where he later died, officials said. Police allege Bajandas Correa fled the scene on foot after the crash before he was located near the Minsi Trail Bridge. He now awaits his next court appearance and was being held at Northampton County Prison.
Suspect Allegedly Admitted to Phone and Drug Use
According to police, Bajandas Correa told responding officers that he had been using his cellphone while driving, and that he had also been using a controlled substance while operating the vehicle. Investigators were still awaiting results of a blood test as of Tuesday, officials said, and police noted that Bajandas Correa may face additional charges depending on those toxicology results and the ongoing investigation.
Any confirmed impairment could significantly raise the stakes for Bajandas Correa. Under Pennsylvania Title 75 Pa.C.S. § 3735, prosecutors can file homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence if blood tests confirm impairment — a second-degree felony carrying a mandatory minimum of three years in prison and up to 10 years per fatality, according to RGS&G Law. As it stands, he has been charged with vehicular homicide, reckless driving and related offenses, according to police.
What Pennsylvania Law Says About Distracted Driving and Fleeing the Scene
The admitted cellphone use lands squarely within Pennsylvania's newly strengthened distracted driving statute. Under Paul Miller's Law, which governs handheld interactive-device use, the law took effect as a primary offense on June 5, 2025, while its $50 summary-offense penalty began on June 5, 2026. Drivers convicted of homicide by vehicle while distracted face up to an additional five years in prison, per the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. The law expanded the state's previous texting-only ban to prohibit holding or supporting a wireless device with any part of the body while behind the wheel.
Separately, homicide by vehicle under Title 75 Pa.C.S. § 3732 is a third-degree felony punishable by up to seven years in state prison, a $15,000 fine, and a mandatory three-year license suspension, according to the Brennan Law Offices. Leaving the scene of a fatal accident carries its own mandatory minimum of three years in state prison and a $2,500 fine under Title 75 Pa.C.S. § 3742, per the Recording Law.
A Corridor With a Troubled Recent History
Daly Avenue and the Minsi Trail Bridge have been identified as crash locations. Wind Creek Bethlehem is the casino resort built on the former Bethlehem Steel site, according to the Law Office of Jason Tenenbaum.
A Bethlehem man received up to 19 years in state prison in a DUI hit-and-run case, per the Lehigh Daily News.
Statewide Enforcement and Traffic Safety Trends
The crash comes as Pennsylvania has ramped up enforcement against distracted and aggressive driving. During a statewide “Operation Hands Off” initiative in June 2026, state troopers issued 694 citations and 308 warnings for handheld device violations within days of Paul Miller's Law taking full effect, and also arrested 98 drivers for DUI during the three-day push, according to FOX56 WOLF TV. Meanwhile, PennDOT crash statistics published in May 2026 showed total traffic fatalities in Pennsylvania fell to 1,047 in 2025, while total reportable crashes reached the second-lowest annual total on record — even as aggressive-driving fatalities surged 31% compared to 2020, per PSATS.org.
The Daly Avenue crash is among recent Bethlehem traffic incidents, including a March collision on the Center Valley Parkway that killed a Bethlehem driver. Investigators continue to await the blood test results for Bajandas Correa, and the Northampton County Coroner's office has not yet publicly identified the pedestrian killed in the crash.
