NORRISTOWN, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — One of two men charged in a May 2023 crash on Bethlehem Pike in Hatfield pleaded guilty to killing a 62-year-old woman and seriously injuring her husband.
Aiden Jarrett, 20, from Quakertown, pleaded guilty on Thursday to homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle and racing charges stemming from the crash. He was 18 at the time of the incident.
Investigators say data from Jarrett’s Mitsubishi Lancer shows he was going 110 mph in a 55-mph zone just seconds before slamming into a Nissan Frontier at Bethlehem Pike and Bergey Road, at around 8:40 p.m. on May 17, 2023. The impact knocked the Frontier through the intersection.
The Frontier’s passenger, 62-year-old Ida Lillo, was killed in the crash. Her husband, Louis Lillo III, who was behind the wheel of the Nissan, was seriously injured.
Jarrett entered an open plea, which means his sentence will be up to a judge. The charges carry a maximum of seven to 14 years in prison and prosecutors say they plan to seek prison time.
Evan Buckman, from Pennsburg, was in a third car. Based on interviews with other drivers and surveillance video, police say his Nissan 350Z and Jarrett’s Lancer were racing before the crash. The 20-year-old Buckman faces similar charges and is scheduled to go to trial next month.