A Lebanon County jury has acquitted a New Jersey truck driver of homicide by vehicle in connection with a fatal 2024 crash that killed a man on Interstate 81, though the panel convicted him of other charges following a three-day trial. John Concepcion was behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer involved in a three-truck crash near Union Township in August 2024 that left a New Jersey man dead.
According to Lebanon Daily News, the jury acquitted Concepcion of homicide by vehicle but convicted him on other counts after the three-day trial. Court records cited in that reporting indicate Concepcion was convicted of reckless endangerment and of lying to police about having a valid driver's license at the time of the crash.
What Happened on I-81 That Morning
The crash occurred at 4:07 a.m. on August 3, 2024, as a 2017 Hino 268 was traveling northbound in the right lane of Interstate 81 at mile-marker 87.5 near the Fort Indiantown Gap exit, per the same outlet's original coverage of the wreck. Three tractor-trailers were involved in the collision near Union Township, and police said a 32-year-old New Jersey man was killed. The newspaper identified the victim as Adrian Jemmot of Trenton, while ABC27 separately identified him as 32-year-old Adrian Jemmot in its own report on the crash.
Concepcion, 35, of Hamilton Township, New Jersey, was identified as the driver of the Hino at the time of the crash, the Lebanon Daily News report states. Police shut down the northbound lanes of I-81 for more than eight hours that Saturday while they worked the scene.
Felony Charges Followed Days Later
Pennsylvania State Police went on to file felony charges of homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle against Concepcion, according to ABC27. That outlet also reported that Concepcion initially told investigators he had been sleeping and was not the one driving the truck, and that he did not have a valid driver's license.
Under Pennsylvania law, homicide by vehicle is defined as recklessly or with gross negligence causing another person's death while violating a vehicle or traffic law, not counting DUI offenses, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The offense is classified as a third-degree felony, and state law allows for an additional prison term of up to five years if prosecutors prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the crash happened in an active work zone.
What the Conviction Actually Covers
Reckless endangerment, the charge jurors did convict Concepcion of, is defined under state law as recklessly engaging in conduct that places or may place another person in danger of death or serious bodily injury, according to the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It is classified as a second-degree misdemeanor, a far lesser charge than the felony homicide-by-vehicle count the jury rejected.
It also remains unclear what sentence, if any, Concepcion will face on the reckless endangerment and false-information convictions.
