Berks man jailed for fatal crash in Upper Hanover
A Berks County man is headed to prison after he admitted to his role in a hitand-run crash in Upper Hanover that killed an East Greenville father of four.
Steven Bernard Rokita, 51, of the 400 block of Landis Store Road, Pike Township, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 6-to-15-years in a state correctional facility after he pleaded guilty to two felony charges of leaving the scene of an accident causing death or bodily injury in connection with the 4:18 p.m. July 23, 2018, three-vehicle crash on Route 663 just north of the intersection with Northgate Boulevard in Upper Hanover.
The hit-and-run crash claimed the life of 38-year-old William Bender of East Greenville and seriously injured a third-driver,
84-year-old Edward Kabakjian of Pennsburg.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman imposed the sentence as part of a plea agreement.
“Mr. Rokita fled the scene. He didn’t stay on scene,” said Assistant District Attorney Kathleen McLaughlin. “You have a duty to stay on the scene, give information and render aid. He didn’t do that. He admitted he caused this accident, that somebody died and that somebody was injured as a result of this, and that he did leave.
“He never turned himself in. The state police did an excellent job in this case of tracking him down,” McLaughlin added.
Bender, who was heading home from his SEPTA job in Philadelphia, leaves behind a wife and four children. He was a 1998 graduate of Upper Perkiomen High School.
Bender’s relatives attended the sentencing hearing and expressed their grief to the judge.
“This was a young family. Now everyday they have to go on without their father. It’s had a huge impact on them. Mr. Bender was a really good guy who cared about his family and brought a lot of joy to their lives,” McLaughlin said.
Rokita, who was represented by defense lawyer Matthew Razzano, apologized to Bender’s family before he was escorted from the courtroom and taken to prison.
State police at Skippack determined Rokita, operating a red Ford Fusion, was traveling southbound on Route 663, also known as Quakertown Road, and rear-ended a black 2005 Honda Civic operated by Bender. The collision forced Bender’s vehicle into the oncoming northbound lane where it was struck by a third vehicle, a gold 2003 Buick LeSabre operated by Kabakjian, police alleged.
Witnesses reported the driver of the Ford Fusion continued driving southbound toward Pennsburg.
Bender was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital in Quakertown and was pronounced dead shortly after arrival there, according to court documents. Kabakjian was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment of serious injuries.
An autopsy determined Bender died as a result of head and neck injuries. Kabakjian suffered serious injuries including a brain bleed, a fractured wrist and multiple rib fractures, according to a criminal complaint.
During the investigation, state police obtained surveillance video footage from businesses in the area of the crash and were able to identify the fleeing red Ford Fusion and link it to Rokita.
“There was observable damage on the front, driver’s side bumper of the vehicle in the area of the fog lamp which was consistent with the expected damage on the fleeing vehicle involved in this crash,” state police Trooper Brad C. Furlong wrote in the arrest affidavit.
When troopers went to Rokita’s Landis Store Road home on July 27, they observed the damaged Ford Fusion in the driveway, court papers indicate. Police subsequently obtained a warrant to seize the vehicle.
During an initial interview by police, Rokita “falsely claimed that the damage to his vehicle occurred several weeks prior in the parking lot of a business,” Furlong alleged.
When police searched Rokita’s vehicle they found several pieces of drug paraphernalia, including two glass smoking pipes with residue and a hand torch, “items commonly used for smoking illegal drugs,” according to the criminal complaint.
Other charges of possessing drug paraphernalia, following too closely, speeding, careless driving and making false reports were dismissed against Rokita as part of the plea agreement.