2 arrested after street racing crash leaves woman dead in Montgomery County

HATFIELD, Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Two people have been arrested in Montgomery County for a street racing crash that left a woman dead back in 2023.

The district attorney's office announced the arrests of 19-year-old Aidan Jarrett and 19-year-old Evan Buckman on Tuesday.

Police say the two-car crash between a red Mitsubishi Lancer and a silver Nissan Frontier occurred just before 9 p.m. on May 17, 2023, at Bethlehem Pike and Bergery Road in Hatfield.

When officers arrived at the scene, they found the Mitsubishi's engine on fire and the driver, Jarrett, standing outside the vehicle.

Police say they also found the Nissan resting on its driver's side with two people trapped inside.

Officers rescued Ida Lillo and driver Louis Lillo III from the Nissan and transported them to a nearby hospital.

Ida Lillo, 62, was pronounced dead at the hospital.

A third vehicle was also involved in the incident, according to investigators. They say a yellow Nissan 350Z driven by Buckman was on the scene, but not damaged in the crash.

After conducting witness interviews and reviewing surveillance video, police determined the cars driven by Jarrett and Buckman were racing at high speeds before the crash.

When the Lillos' Nissan was turning left onto Bergery Road, police say the Mitsubishi crashed into the car, striking it so hard it flipped onto its side and traveled through the intersection.

Seconds later, investigators say Buckman's Nissan was seen passing the crash and starting to brake, then pulling over into a nearby parking lot.

A post-crash inspection revealed no mechanical issues in Jarrett's car that could have contributed to the crash, according to authorities.

The inspection also revealed the Mitsubishi was traveling approximately 110 mph in a 55-mph zone.

Analysis revealed Buckamn's vehicle was going roughly 95 mph in the same area, police say.

Both Buckman and Jarrett turned themselves in on Monday.

They now face charges including homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, recklessly endangering another person, illegal racing, and reckless driving.

Jarrett is also charged with simple assault and driving more than 55 miles per hour over the posted speed limit.

Bail has been set at $50,000 each with an additional condition that neither is permitted to drive.

Action News spoke with Louis Lillo about the tragic crash.

He and Ida, the woman of his dreams and wife of 45 years, were only about a mile away from home when they were struck.

"Just like one minute you're at McDonald's laughing, the next minute, somebody's gone," he said.

Lillo described his wife as his peace. He says they were planning their 50th anniversary together.

"She didn't deserve that. She didn't deserve to go the way she did," he said.

Now, Lillo is looking for justice. For him, that would mean seeing the 19-year-olds punished to the fullest.

"Just to show justice that you can't be going around racing in cars," he said. "Got to deal with it every day and night. It's hard."

Others in the community agreed the racing needed to stop.

"People are moving right here, it's unfortunate people get hurt or killed, you know?" said Scott Hartzell from Hatfield.