A Harleysville man is headed to state prison after pleading guilty to the February 2022 hit and run crash in Skippack Township that left 62-year-old Susan Rein dead.
Jesse Neou, 27, was sentenced on Tuesday to three to six years in prison after pleading guilty to a felony count of accidents involving death or personal injury. Additional charges of failure to stop and render aid, failing to notify police of an accident involving injury or death, and providing false information to police were dropped in exchange for his plea.
Neou, who was scheduled for trial on Wednesday prior to striking a plea agreement with prosecutors, was also fined $2,500 as part of his sentence, court records show.
Montgomery County dispatchers were contacted at 6:43 a.m. on Feb 21, 2022, from a friend of Rein’s, who said she was talking to her on the phone when she heard Rein loudly gasp and the line cutoff. The friend told dispatch that Rein lived in the area of the 2100 block of Eastport Way in Skippack Township.
Approximately 12 minutes later, county dispatch received a call from another person stating they had discovered a female lying in the parking lot along the 3900 block of Ashland Drive, which is near Rein’s residence. The caller stated the female was bleeding and appeared to be deceased. Police arrived a short time later and confirmed the victim was dead, lying face down in a pool of blood with damage to her clothing consistent with being dragged.
Police said the victim suffered multiple injuries including head trauma and a broken jaw, and they found clothing fibers stuck to the road, according to charging documents.
While on scene, police said a witness came forward and stated they saw Neou walking from the direction of the building and remote starting his truck around 6:30 a.m. Investigators then viewed surveillance footage, which showed Neou’s white pickup truck in the parking lot and Rein on the walking trail at 6:32 p.m., before both entered the camera’s blind spot, the report states.
Coming out of the blind spot, Neou’s truck allegedly emerged with its front end raising and lowering, which police said was consistent with running over a person. Neou was then seen reversing and exiting the parking lot, with Rein’s body lying on the ground, according to the complaint.
Investigators made contact with Neou at his place of employment in Quakertown at 11 a.m., at which point they said they observed human hairs and clothing fibers in the undercarriage of his truck. A search warrant was later executed on the truck, which revealed more human hairs and clothing fibers on the passenger side tires and running board, police said.
In speaking to police, Neou said that he was running late, and he remote started his vehicle before having to run back into his house. He told investigators that he pulled out, went to work, and said he did not hit anything in the parking lot, according to the complaint.
Neou was represented by Martin Mullaney, Esq., of the Mullaney & Mullaney firm in Skippack Township. The case was prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Samantha Arena.
See also:
Harleysville Man Accused of Fatal Hit and Run Will Soon Head to Trial
Two Months After Woman’s Body Found in Skippack Parking Lot, Local Man Charged
Police Seek Public's Help In Fatal Harleysville Hit-And-Run Crash
