Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli ruled that prosecutors presented enough evidence for the charges against Michael Bon to proceed to Schuylkill County Court.
During the nearly 2-hour hearing, prosecutors called six witnesses. Bon participated with the assistance of an interpreter.
Bon faces charges including homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person and related traffic offenses. He has not been charged with driving under the influence.
The charges stem from the July 1 crash on Interstate 81 South near mile marker 119 in Cass Township.
Pahira, 44, a 20-year veteran assigned to the Pennsylvania State Police Troop L barracks in Frackville, was conducting a commercial vehicle inspection along the highway shortly after 7 a.m.
Walter Reynoso, the driver of the tractor-trailer being inspected, testified that he had been stopped along the shoulder for approximately 40 minutes. Pahira was near the truck’s fuel tank when Bon’s approaching tractor-trailer left the travel lane, according to testimony.
Investigators said Bon’s rig struck the passenger-side mirror of Pahira’s patrol vehicle before colliding with the rear of Reynoso’s trailer. Pahira was struck and dragged during the collision as Bon’s truck caught fire.
Video from a dashboard camera mounted in Reynoso’s truck was played during the hearing. Pahira could reportedly be heard speaking with Reynoso immediately before the crash.
Reynoso testified that the impact broke his seat and left him facing the ceiling of the cab. After climbing from the truck, he saw Bon’s tractor-trailer engulfed in flames.
Maurice Foster, another truck driver, testified that he saw an explosion and heavy black smoke from approximately a mile away. Foster stopped, called 911 and found Pahira trapped beneath the front of the burning truck.
Foster testified that Bon climbed from the truck without shoes, returned to the burning cab to retrieve his boots and then attempted unsuccessfully to free Pahira. When Foster asked what happened, Bon reportedly said he did not know.
Three construction workers at a nearby job site also saw the smoke and ran toward the interstate.
Michael Adams and Jamie Cameron climbed over a PennDOT fence and attempted several times to pull Pahira away from the burning wreckage. The men were forced back by the heat and explosions but succeeded on their third attempt.
Adams became emotional while describing the rescue and testified that he was unwilling to stand by while Pahira remained trapped beneath the burning truck.
Trooper William Moyer was among the first emergency responders to arrive. Moyer testified that he could not find a pulse and began performing CPR.
Pahira was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital–East, where he was pronounced dead at 11:45 a.m. His death was attributed to multiple blunt-force injuries.
Trooper Benjamin Scott, who testified as an expert in collision reconstruction, said physical evidence indicated that Bon’s tractor-trailer traveled at least 27 inches outside the right travel lane.
Scott testified that Bon would have had approximately 49 to 72 seconds to see the stopped patrol vehicle and tractor-trailer and move into the adjoining lane.
Bon’s attorney, John Waldron, raised the possibility that his client experienced a seizure before the crash. Waldron said Bon has a history of epilepsy and that records from a physician in Haiti document previous seizures.
A state police investigator testified that Bon reported suffering a seizure in Haiti in either 2017 or 2018. Waldron argued that a sudden medical episode could explain why Bon’s truck left the travel lane and said the possibility requires further investigation.
Prosecutors also presented testimony that Bon’s blood contained 1.7 nanograms per milliliter of THC following the crash. Waldron emphasized that Bon has not been charged with DUI, and no testimony established that he was impaired at the time.
Bon remains incarcerated in the Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $700,000 bail. A trial date has not been scheduled.