LEBANON COUNTY, Pa. — A Lebanon man is facing multiple charges, including homicide by vehicle, following a deadly crash in February of 2023.
According to the South Lebanon County Police Department, on Feb. 18 at 5:23 a.m., officers were dispatched to the scene of a fatal crash at the intersection of East Walnut Street and East Cumberland Street.
At the scene, officers found a heavily damaged gray Subaru SUV. The driver, later identified as Josha Bartal, 25, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Rubin Montero, 21, the driver of the striking vehicle, a black Nissan SUV, was evaluated at the scene and interviewed by police.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, an officer obtained surveillance footage of the crash from a nearby McDonald's. The footage allegedly showed the Subaru SUV had been traveling north on East Walnut Street and came to the stop sign at East Cumberland Street. Then, Montero's Nissan SUV can allegedly be seen speeding west on East Cumberland Street before striking a traffic island and going airborne, crashing into Bartal's Subaru SUV on the south side of the street.
At the scene, officers learned that Montero had an active warrant for his arrest by Pennsylvania State Police. Police say Montero's eyes were glassy and bloodshot.
A sobriety test was performed and officers determined that Montero was under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance to a degree of rendering him incapable of driving.
He was placed under arrest for suspicion of DUI and transported to a local hospital for a blood test.
At the hospital, Montero told police that he believed he had fallen asleep while driving and claimed that the other car had crashed prior to his car striking the utility pole.
Following subsequent follow-up interviews with Montero and witnesses, officers determined that Bartal's fatal injuries were caused by Montero driving on the wrong side of the road at nearly double the posted speed limit while under the influence of alcohol and marijuana.
Montero has been charged with homicide by vehicle while under the influence, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, general impairment, DUI: highest rate of alcohol, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, DUI combination of alcohol/drugs, reckless driving and careless driving.
He is currently at Lebanon County Prison after he was unable to post the $250,000 bail.
