A Hazleton man faces multiple criminal charges following a months-long investigation into a December 2025 hit-and-run crash that resulted in the death of a 59-year-old pedestrian. West Hazleton Borough Police filed charges on Tuesday against 58-year-old Thomas Michael Vercusky in connection with the fatal incident that killed Fausto Hernandez-Perez of West Hazleton.
According to investigators, Vercusky was driving a pickup truck equipped with a snowplow along 22nd Street when the vehicle veered off the roadway, striking Hernandez-Perez and crashing into a brick retaining wall. Police report that Vercusky immediately fled the scene without attempting to render aid to the severely injured man or contacting emergency services, and Hernandez-Perez later succumbed to his injuries.
Law enforcement authorities charged Vercusky with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, accidents involving death or personal injury, reckless driving, and accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle or property. The filing concludes an extensive multi-month investigation conducted by local law enforcement officers into the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.
Thomas Michael Vercusky
West Hazleton Police Department
