Man acquitted of vehicular homicide charges in fatal Hatfield Township crash

Evan Robert Buckman’s defense attorney Matthew Quigg said it is a relief for his client to be acquitted by a jury Wednesday on charges of vehicular homicide, solidifying he was not responsible for the racing crash that killed Hatfield Township’s Ida Lillo in May 2023.

Instead, his client was convicted by Judge Wendy G. Rothstein on summary offenses of illegal racing and reckless driving, which carry fines or suspensions.

“After Mr. Buckman was acquitted of homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle and recklessly endangering another person charges, it was a huge relief for him. He’s more relived than anything else,” Quigg told North Penn Now Wednesday afternoon. “From the beginning, he and we have maintained that he wasn’t involved in any type of racing. The fact that the jury saw that, he feels vindicated.”

Buckman, of the 4000 block of Campbell Road, wants to put the incident behind him, he said.

“He wants a chance to move on with his life,” Quigg said.  

After a two-day trial, and nearly three hours of deliberation, the jury of seven men and five women announced the verdict for the 20-year-old Marlborough Township man, per The Reporter.

Buckman had no emotion and no comment during the verdict and after leaving the courtroom with his father.

The jury did not consider the summary charges, per the report.

Buckman’s friend, Aidan Thomas Jarrett, 20, of the 300 block of Erie Avenue,  in Quakertown, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to vehicular homicide and aggravated assault by vehicle as the driver who hit the car occupied by Lillo and her husband. Jarrett faces up to 14 years in prison.

“I don’t think (Jarrett’s plea) played a part (in the jury’s verdict). It would have had the same result,” Quigg said. “The jury was smart and was able to differentiate what Jarret’s role was from Evan’s role in the situation.”

The trial began Tuesday morning in the vehicular homicide case, where prosecutors alleged Buckman was involved in the 8:41 p.m. May 17, 2023, crash on Bethlehem Pike at Bergey Road in Hatfield Township that killed 62-year-old Lillo, a passenger in a vehicle driven by her husband, Louis Lillo III, who suffered serious injuries.

However, Quigg argued that Buckman was following his friend and there was no evidence that Buckman was racing Jarrett or attempting to pass Jarrett.

    Aidan Thomas Jarrett, 20, of the 300 block of Erie Avenue, Quakertown. Credit: Montgomery County District Attorney's Office.
  

Jarrett was speeding in excess of 110 mph on Bethlehem Pike/Route 309 – specifically, authorities allege, racing with co-defendant Buckman – when his red 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer collided with a silver 2015 Nissan Frontier, occupied by the Lillos.

According to The Reporter, while Buckman’s vehicle did not strike the Lillo vehicle, he, due to his alleged racing, was also responsible for the fatality under accomplice liability theories, prosecutors said.

Investigators said the crash occurred when Lillo was attempting to make a left turn onto Bergey Road from Bethlehem Pike and was struck by Jarrett, who was speeding. (Editor’s note: this crash occurred prior to the removal of the ability to turn left onto Bergey Road from Bethlehem Pike.) 

A third vehicle, described as a yellow Nissan 350z driven by Buckman, was also observed traveling at a high rate of speed through the intersection seconds after the crash, before stopping at the scene, police said.

The force of the crash caused the Nissan to flip on its side and travel through the intersection, seriously injuring the driver and passenger, according to the criminal complaint. Both were transported from the scene to Grand View Hospital, with Lillo being pronounced dead a short time later.

While on scene, Jarrett told police on scene that was driving over the speed limit, and when asked his approximate speed, he replied, "Uhh, pretty fast. Uhh a hundred,” according to police.

Investigators said they determined through witness’s statements, interviews with Jarrett and Buckman, and nearby surveillance footage, that Jarrett and Buckman were racing at high speeds in the southbound lanes prior to the crash. Data from the Airbag Control Module in the Mitsubishi showed the vehicle was traveling at 110.6 miles-per-hour at the time of the crash, and an analysis of video surveillance showed Buckman was traveling at 95 miles-per-hour, according to charging documents.

Hatfield Township Police Officer William J. Summerfield alleged in the criminal complaint:

“The reconstruction of the crash found the speed of the red Mitsubishi caused this crash,” alleged Summerfield. “(The vehicles were driven in) a complete reckless and wanton disregard for the safety of other persons or property."

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.