Delco man who killed motorist in road-rage shooting gets 15 to 40 years in state prison

Victoria Hua confronted her father’s killer in a Delaware County courtroom, demanding to know why he executed the 54-year-old with two shots to the head as he sat in morning rush-hour traffic two years ago.

“How can you wrap your mind around the brutality, cruelty, and lack of humanity it takes to kill someone like that. For what?” Hua asked. “To imagine that my father’s life was worth less than the five minutes Saddiq [Washington] and his mother could’ve saved getting to work that day sickens me.”

Washington, 24, pleaded guilty Monday to third-degree murder and aggravated assault for killing King Hua in a shooting that prosecutors described as road rage. The plea, negotiated with prosecutors, spared Washington from first-degree murder.

As part of the agreement, prosecutors withdrew aggravated assault and conspiracy charges against Washington for his role in the beating of an inmate at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility while he was incarcerated there in October.

Delaware County Judge George Pagano sentenced Washington to 15 to 40 years in state prison for a shooting that shocked the quiet stretch of Springfield Township where it took place.

In handing down the sentence, Pagano said he hoped the resolution of the case could bring some solace to Hua’s family.

“What I hope for you is eventually that the pain you feel on a daily basis will be replaced slowly by the many wonderful memories you have of your dad,” Pagano said.

Hua, who owned several businesses in the township, was driving home with his wife on State Road about 9 a.m. on June 29, 2022, when a Chevrolet Equinox driven by Washington’s mother, Amanda, pulled slightly ahead of them and stopped, according to the the affidavit of probable cause for Washington’s arrest.

Washington leaned out of the window of the SUV and shot twice into Hua’s car through its windshield, hitting him in his eye and ear. A witness told police she saw the Equinox swerving aggressively in traffic shortly before it stopped and the shooting unfolded, the affidavit said.

Police traced the Equinox to Washington’s home and took him into custody. He later confessed to the shooting. His mother was charged with hindering apprehension, pleaded guilty last July, and was sentenced to seven years of probation.

After entering his guilty plea, Washington apologized to the Hua family, saying he was “truly disturbed” that he had killed their loved one.

“I know my apology will not bring back your loved one, but I promise the Hua family and everyone in this courtroom that I will make it my life mission to prevent any future tragedies like this one.”

But for Victoria Hua, those were empty words.

She showed Pagano a collection of photographs that chronicled her father’s life, from his youth in Vietnam, to his arrival in America and his years as a father. The last photo he ever took with her, she said, was on the day of her college graduation.

“He was happy, and I would give anything to hear his laugh again, to see him smile again,” she said.