Police said unlicensed driver fled scene after West Ward intersection collision
A Lansdale man has been charged with multiple felonies in connection with a crash last week in Lansdale Borough that seriously injured a fifth-grade child.
Nazear Kyzah Newton, 26, of the 100 block of Oakland Avenue, was charged Wednesday with two felony counts each of aggravated assault by vehicle, accidents involving personal injury, and accidents involving personal injury while unlicensed, in connection with the two-car crash that occurred around 9:07 a.m. Friday at the intersection of South Cannon Avenue and Delaware Avenue in the borough's West Ward neighborhood.
Newton, who is jailed on $99,077 cash bail on a parole/probation detainer, is also charged with misdemeanor accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle, and summary traffic and driving offenses, according to court records.
Police said Newton was driving eastbound in a silver Mazda CX-7 on Delaware Avenue when he failed to stop at a posted stop sign at South Cannon Avenue. His vehicle struck a Subaru Outback traveling northbound, injuring both the adult driver and a juvenile passenger.
Both victims were transported by VMSC Emergency Medical Services to Lansdale Hospital. The juvenile was later flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital for surgery, police said.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, witnesses on scene told police that Newton, who has not had a valid driver’s license since December 2016, fled prior to police arrival after they saw the crash, and was found walking eastbound on Delaware Avenue.
"This accident would have been avoided if Newton had come to a complete stop at the posted stop sign," police wrote in the affidavit. "Due to Newton's driving, two subjects including a juvenile were seriously injured."
A preliminary hearing is set for Feb. 18 at 2 p.m. before Magisterial District Judge Edward Levine. Newton was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge Douglas H. Lavenberg.7
Court and parole records show Newton has prior felony convictions in Montgomery County.
In 2018, he pleaded guilty to five counts of robbery, lodged by Upper Dublin Police, related to nine 7-Eleven holdups in 2017 in Montgomery, Bucks and Philadelphia, and was sentenced to two to four years in state prison, followed by five years of probation. He received credit for 539 days already served, per court documents.
In September 2023, Newton also pleaded guilty in Hatfield Borough to misdemeanor criminal attempted theft and was sentenced to two years of probation, according to court records.
According to Pennsylvania Parole Board records, he was released on parole on Nov. 19, 2025.
The victim's family told NorthPennNow that the young girl is recovering and must have her jaw wired shut temporarily. In the affidavit, police said a second juvenile was in the vehicle that was allegedly hit by Newton, and that both children were properly restrained.
"The injury caused a significant amount of pain for the child and she is now eating only pureed foods for a month," police wrote in the complaint. The mother of the child suffered injuries to her neck and shoulder, police said.
Newton had formerly lived on the 700 block of Weikel Road in Towamencin, according to public address information.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
