HERSHEY, Pa. — A Tennessee man accused of injuring a Penn State Harrisburg Police officer in a hit-and-run incident earlier this month has been apprehended and is in custody, according to charging documents filed by Derry Township Police.
James Magaha, 34, of Granville, TN, is charged with attempted homicide, attempted homicide by vehicle, and accidents involving death or serious injury in connection to the Oct. 6 incident, which occurred 9:41 p.m. on Park Avenue near East Derry Road, according to police.
The victim, later identified as Lt. Juan Castro Jr., is a member of the Penn State Harrisburg Police Department. Witnesses told police Magaha intentionally struck Castro with his vehicle following a road rage incident.
The witness told police that prior to the incident, the driver of the Sequoia was observed yelling at Castro, who stopped his vehicle, exited, and began walking toward the suspect vehicle.
The Sequoia then accelerated suddenly, struck Castro, dragged him for a short distance, and continued accelerating as it fled from the scene, the witness reported.
Castro suffered serious injuries to his head and body and was transported to the Penn State Hershey Medical Center via Life Lion EMS, according to police.
Investigators identified Magaha as the driver by consulting surveillance videos taken from Hersheypark and a nearby Sheetz convenience store. The videos showed the incident as it occurred. Police were also able to determine the vehicle's license plate and traced the registration to Magaha.
Magaha's drivers license photo matched the appearance of the suspect taken from surveillance video of the incident, according to police.
Magaha is currently being held in Dauphin County Prison.
