Truck driver crashed into motorcycle on purpose, police say
A 54-year-old man admitted to a state trooper that he intentionally swerved into the path of a passing motorcyclist last week in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, because he felt the motorcyclist was driving carelessly, according to court records.
When troopers arrived to investigate the crash at 8:06 p.m. on Aug. 1, they found the motorcyclist unresponsive on the street and then spoke to Matthew E. Dietrich, who blurted out, “It’s my fault, I [expletive] up, but they need to learn they can’t drive like that and do whatever they want,” court records show.
Police said the motorcyclist, identified as Paul A. Entler, suffered a collapsed lung, multiple broken ribs and a broken leg.
Dietrich, of the 600 block of Bath Avenue in Catasauqua, was charged with aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, disregarding traffic lanes, careless driving and reckless driving. He was arraigned Tuesday by District Judge Michael D’Amore and released on $100,000 unsecured bail.
According to a criminal complaint:
State police said the crash happened in the intersection of Race Street and Willowbrook Road.
As police investigated the crash, Dietrich twice blurted out that he swerved into the motorcycle’s path because he was “driving like an [expletive].”
He said the motorcyclist attempted to pass him on the left side when he purposely jerked his steering wheel to the left in front of the motorcycle to stop him from passing. The motorcycle collided with his truck, sending the rider flying across the road.
Dietrich’s son was in the passenger seat and told police that he saw his father swerve the truck and collide with the motorcycle.
Police spoke to two other witnesses who also saw the truck swerve into the motorcycle. One woman ran out of her car to help the motorcyclist and said Dietrich appeared annoyed. He then yelled out, “Yeah, yeah, it was my fault. I swerved.”
Morning Call reporter Manuel Gamiz Jr. can be reached at 610-820-6595 or at mgamiz@mcall.com.