Crime & Safety

Deadly I-78 Crash: 'I Just Want to Put It Behind Me'

Judge says there's no evidence Alexandro Morales acted with 'gross negligence' in fatal truck accident.

A Delaware County man will spend the next five years on probation for causing a deadly truck crash on Interstate 78 in Williams Township last year.

Alexandro Morales, 24, avoided prison time Tuesday after Northampton County Judge Edward Smith said there was no indication Morales had acted wrecklessly or with gross negligence in the death of Rocco Antonelli, 58, on January 31.

Morales entered a no-contest plea in March. In exchange for the plea, prosecutors dropped more serious charges, including vehicular homicide.

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In court Tuesday, Morales expressed remorse for the accident, and says it still haunts him.

"I just want to put it behind me," he said.

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Morales was joined in court by his girlfriend. No one attended on behalf of Antontelli.

Smith said his sentence was a difficult one: Morales has taken responsibility for the crash and there's no evidence he was driving wrecklessly or was on drugs or drinking. At the same time, he might have fallen asleep at the wheel or blacked out, leaving a man dead.

"The court was troubled with this case and I considered rejecting this plea agreement," he told Morales.

According to court records, Morales' tractor trailer was headed west on the interstate on Jan. 31 when it hit Antonelli's. Antonelli, of Philadelphia, was dead at the scene, state police say.

At the time, Morales told police Antonelli had cut in front of him.

"Why did he do this to me? I could go to jail for this," Morales allegedly told troopers at the scene after the crash.

But police say an investigation revealed Antonelli was actually legally parked on the side of the highway at the time of the crash.

However, things get even more complicated, Assistant District Attorney Richard Pepper said, when you consider that Antonelli had no flares on or anything else to indicate he was stopped on the side of the road.

Smith noted that the legal system may not be done with Morales. His plea leaves him open to any civil litigation connected to the accident.


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