Paoli man surrenders to face charges in fatal hit-run
D.A.: He fled, then filed false insurance claim
RADNOR » A split-second decision changed two lives, and now a young father who turned himself in to police on Thursday faces a jail sentence if convicted in connection with a fatal hitrun crash.
Kevin Gaughan, 29, of Willistown, turned himself in to Radnor police on Thursday to face charges in the fatal hit-and-run of a 69-year-old man on March 6.
The victim, Fred Gitterman, who had addresses in Radnor and Media, was crossing Lancaster Avenue at about 8:08 p.m. after eating dinner at Harvest Seasonal Grill when he was struck, officials said.
Gaughan, who lives in the Paoli section of the township, did not respond to requests for comment as he hurried into the Radnor Township Building with his lawyer at his side around 11 a.m. Thursday.
Police linked Gaughan to the accident through video camera footage of his damaged white SUV as it traveled down Lancaster Avenue and turned left on Paoli Pike. He had taken his Yukon into an auto body shop for repairs the next day and allegedly lied about how the accident happened. The Yukon had a Denali package upgrade, which made it somewhat less common and easier to identify. The township and the Delaware County District Attorney offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the driver’s arrest and conviction. Shortly after that March 9 press conference, police received a tip as to the owner of the SUV.
Witnesses said the SUV braked briefly before speeding off, according to Deputy Superintendent Chris Flanagan. When police got to the scene, bystanders were performing CPR on Gitterman, who had been in a crosswalk when he was struck.
“All he (Gaughan) needed to do was stop and help,” said Delaware County District Attorney Katayoun Copeland at the afternoon press conference. Instead, the charges allege Gaughan went home and tried to file a false insurance claim on his vehicle.
Gaughan had a green light and would likely not have been charged if he had stopped at the time of the accident as is required by state law, the D.A. said. Instead, Gaughan drove off and within 24 minutes was online filing an insurance claim that said a sign had hit his car and damaged it.
Turning himself in, Gaughan, who wore a suit and tie, was arraigned before District Justice Lee Hunter, who set bail at 10 percent of $500,000. Gaughan, who is free on bail, also will be monitored electronically and must surrender his passport.
His defense lawyer, Robert J. Donatoni, said that his client works as a tax preparer in Bryn Mawr and grew up near Scranton. He had attended Lock Haven University and is part way through a master’s degree in accounting at Philadelphia University. Gaughan’s Facebook page indicates that he is married, and his posts show young child.
Police came to the 500 block of Lancaster Avenue where they found Gitterman “bleeding profusely from the back of his head,” Copeland said.
Gitterman was taken to Bryn Mawr Hospital, where he was pronounced deadly shortly afterward. his wife and
“The investigation revealed that the defendant, Kevin Gaughan,(was) driving his white Yukon vehicle, and left town on East Lancaster Avenue. … He fled the scene, leaving (the victim) to die in the middle of the road,” Copeland said.
Copeland called Gaughan a “cold-hearted perpetrator.”
Gaughan was charged with accidents involving death, tampering with evidence, three counts of insurance fraud and failing to report an accident, said Copeland.
If convicted, Gaughan could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, with a minimum of three years, she said.