Bensalem man charged in fatal Christmas Eve hit-and-run

A Bucks County man who struck and killed a pedestrian with his pickup truck on Christmas Eve in Croydon and then fled the scene now faces criminal charges, prosecutors said.

Kevin Baker Jr., 20, was charged late Monday with being a driver in a hit-and-run accident involving death, which is a second-degree felony; tampering with evidence, a second-degree misdemeanor; and the summary offense of failing to stop and give aid.

Baker hit John Dugan, 65, on Dec. 24 as Dugan attempted to cross State Road in front of his home.

Had Baker stopped, investigators said, he would have only faced minor traffic violations. Instead, authorities said, he kept driving. In the days after the crash, Baker repaired the part of his red Chevrolet pickup truck that hit Dugan, according to court documents. And he only turned the truck over to detectives after news reports of the crash.

Baker was released after posting $15,000 bail. Reached at his home Tuesday, Baker referred a reporter to his attorney, Louis Busico. Busico said Baker wasn’t initially aware he hit anyone, in part because Dugan was wearing dark clothes and because of the height of Baker’s truck.

Dugan’s oldest daughter, Jamie Santos, said Tuesday that she was pleased that authorities had arrested the man responsible for her father’s death.

“I do believe everyone deserves second chances, but I do believe he had a second chance when he could’ve turned himself in four months ago,” Santos said. “You’re a 20-year-old grown man. You can make your own decisions.”

On the day of the crash, Dugan stumbled and fell as he crossed State Road about 5 p.m., authorities said. As he lay on the ground, Baker ran over him, narrowly missing Dugan’s fiancée, who told police she was trying to help him get up.

While surveillance footage captured the distinct, cherry-red Chevrolet Silverado, detectives were unable to get a clear look at its license plate, according to the grand jury filing.

Days later, investigators in Bristol Township received a tip from a caller who provided them with video footage of Baker and his girlfriend pouring hot water onto the front of a Chevy truck that matched the description of the one that killed Dugan.

The next day, five days after the incident, Baker and his father took the truck to Bristol Township police, saying they had seen a news report about the crash that had featured video surveillance of the truck.

Baker’s father, Kevin Baker Sr., later testified before the grand jury and said he only learned that his son had been involved in a crash after seeing news coverage about Dugan’s death.

When asked whether he had discussed the crash with his son, the elder Baker invoked his Fifth Amendment rights against self-incrimination, and the grand jurors said they found his testimony “not completely truthful.”