Man faces jail in crash that killed pedestrian

During an emotion-filled hearing, a Philadelphia man admitted that he was speeding when he lost control of his vehicle, which jumped a curb and struck and killed a man who was walking on a sidewalk after an evening jog in Abington Township.

Hatim F. Ramadan, 21, of the 800 block of Tyson Avenue, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 9 to 18 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of homicide by vehicle in connection with the 7:28 p.m. Nov. 26, 2019, crash that killed 62-year-old Neil Lipschutz who was jogging and walking in the 900 block of Township Line Road in the Elkins Park section of Abington.

Judge Wendy G. Rothstein also ordered Ramadan to complete two years’ probation consecutive to parole, meaning Ramadan will be under court supervision for more than three years. Ramadan also must complete 100 hours of community service.

“This is a horrible tragedy. Nobody expects that when a family member leaves to take a walk or jog that they will not return. Nobody expects that when on a sidewalk your life is in danger,” said Rothstein, who offered condolences to members of the Lipschutz family who wept in the courtroom. “This is a very sad day for all involved.”

Rothstein said that by all accounts Ramadan is a good person. However, she said “good people can make bad decisions.”

“In this case, you made a very bad decision which was to drive your car at an excessive speed, almost twice the legal limit,” said Rothstein, explaining the speed limit was 35 mph and Ramadan was traveling at least 60 mph at the time of the crash. “There is a reason for posted speed limits because it is too dangerous to travel at a greater speed.

“This horrible tragedy was the result of your not abiding by the speed limit. There does need to be consequences for your horrible mistake. Otherwise, you and others would not understand that a motor vehicle is a very dangerous weapon if not driven properly or not driven in accordance within the applicable posted speed limits,” Rothstein added. “My sentence will not impact you more than the fact that you have to live with the fact that you killed a man, loving father and husband.”

Ramadan, who was supported in court by family members and friends, did not address the courtroom before learning his fate.

Ramadan’s open guilty plea to the lead charge meant he had no deals with prosecutors regarding his sentence and Rothstein had sole discretion in fashioning the punishment. State standard range sentencing guidelines for the vehicular homicide charge called for a minimum sentence of anywhere between 3 and 12 months.

Assistant District Attorney Kelli Ann McGinnis sought a jail term against Ramadan.

“He took the life of a person who was just out on the sidewalk exercising. He was a loving father, a loving husband and a loving son and a real asset to the community. I can’t understate how devastating the loss is to this family. Speeding so much can end someone’s life in a senseless and tragic way,” McGinnis said.

In a victim impact statement Lipschutz’s grieving wife described her husband, a father of two sons, as “a vibrant man with a big life.” She said his tragic death occurred two days before Thanksgiving, an important holiday to the family.

“He loved doing the turkey. He couldn’t wait to see the kids who were always home for the holiday. There won’t ever be another Thanksgiving for me again. Tainted forever,” Nancy Rosenberg-Lipschutz wrote in the statement that was read in court by McGinnis. “My husband was an amazing father. He lived for his kids and for me. The loss has been all encompassing. It’s a big black hole. The trauma never goes away.”

In another heartbreaking statement Jake Lipschutz, the victim’s son, said his life was altered forever.

“Sometimes I wake up and am still in shock that my dad is dead,” Jake Lipschutz said.

Defense lawyer Lauren A. Wimmer represented Ramadan during the hearing.

An investigation began about 7:28 p.m. when Abington police were dispatched for a report of a vehicle crash involving a pedestrian and found Neil Lipschutz unresponsive, lying on the ground on the northwest corner of a home in the 900 block of Township Line Road. Police also located a 2012 Ford Focus vehicle with heavy front end damage off the side of the road and four other unoccupied damaged vehicles in driveways and yards in front of several homes in the block, according to court papers.

Lipschutz suffered major trauma to his legs and torso and was transported to Abington-Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:08 p.m., court papers indicate.

Ramadan was traveling east on Township Line Road approaching the intersection of Forrest Avenue at the time of the crash. Ramadan allegedly told investigators he saw the light changing at the intersection and he began pressing down on the accelerator and lost control of the vehicle.

Ramadan’s vehicle went off the right side of the road and up onto the sidewalk and struck Lipschutz who was walking west on the sidewalk along the south side of Township Line Road, police said. Ramadan’s vehicle then struck four vehicles parked in the driveways of several homes before coming to rest.

Part of the crash was captured by a home security camera in the area and it showed Lipschutz walking on the sidewalk when he “sees the car coming at him and attempts to get out of the way” and the vehicle is on the sidewalk driving toward Lipschutz and strikes him, according to the criminal complaint filed by Abington Township Police Officer Alan Freed.

The posted speed limit at that location is 35 mph. Investigators determined the average speed of the vehicle was 60 mph as it struck Lipschutz, according to the arrest affidavit.

Rothstein, offering her condolences to Lipschutz’s relatives during her remarks, said there was nothing she could do, nor any sentence she could impose, that would lessen their pain and loss.

“Hopefully, today is another small step toward your recovery,” Rothstein addressed the Lipschutz family. “We can only hope that you get through this and that going forward you are able to focus on your fond memories of your loved one as compared to the tragic event that took him from you.”