Man acquitted of manslaughter charge after fatal accident in Hatfield Township

Matthew Quigg, Evan Robert Buckman's defense attorney, said it was a relief for his client that a jury acquitted him of involuntary manslaughter on Wednesday, making it clear that he was not responsible for the racing accident that killed Ida Lillo of Hatfield Township in May 2023.

Instead, his client was convicted by Judge Wendy G. Rothstein of illegal racing and reckless driving, which are punishable by fines or driving bans.

“After Mr. Buckman was acquitted of the charges of involuntary manslaughter, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person, it was a huge relief for him. He is more relieved than anything,” Quigg told North Penn Now on Wednesday afternoon. “From the beginning, he and we have maintained that he was not involved in any kind of racing. The fact that the jury saw that makes him feel vindicated.”

Buckman, of the 4000 block of Campbell Road, wants to put the incident behind him, he said.

“He wants a chance to move on with his life,” Quigg said.

After a two-day trial and nearly three hours of deliberation, the jury of five men and five women announced the verdict against the 20-year-old man from Marlborough Township, according to The Reporter.

Buckman showed no emotion or comment during the sentencing and after leaving the courtroom with his father.

According to the report, the jury did not consider the summary charges.

Buckman's boyfriend, Aidan Thomas Jarrett, 20, of the 300 block of Erie Avenue in Quakertown, is awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and aggravated assault as the driver who struck Lillo and her husband's car. Jarrett faces up to 14 years in prison.

“I don't think (Jarrett's plea) played a role (in the jury's decision). It would have had the same result,” Quigg said. “The jury was smart and was able to distinguish between Jarrett's role and Evans' role in the situation.”

The trial in the involuntary manslaughter case began Tuesday morning. Prosecutors allege Buckman was involved in the crash, which occurred on May 17, 2023, at 8:41 p.m. on Bethlehem Pike at Bergey Road in Hatfield Township. The crash killed 62-year-old Lillo, a passenger in a vehicle driven by her husband, Louis Lillo III, who suffered serious injuries.

However, Quigg argued that Buckman was following his friend and there was no evidence that Buckman was racing Jarrett or attempting to overtake Jarrett.

Jarrett was driving at more than 110 mph on Bethlehem Pike/Route 309 — more specifically, authorities say, he was racing his co-defendant Buckman — when his red 2015 Mitsubishi Lancer collided with a silver 2015 Nissan Frontier in which the Lillos were sitting.

According to The Reporter, although Buckman's vehicle did not collide with Lillo's car, prosecutors said that due to his alleged racing experience, he was also responsible for the fatal accident under the complicity theory.

According to investigators, the accident occurred when Lillo attempted to turn left from Bethlehem Pike onto Bergey Road and was struck by Jarrett, who was driving too fast. (Editor's note: This accident occurred before the ability to turn left onto Bergey Road from Bethlehem Pike was removed.)

A third vehicle, described as a yellow Nissan 350z driven by Buckman, was also observed driving through the intersection at a high rate of speed seconds after the crash before stopping at the scene, police said.

The force of the impact caused the Nissan to tip onto its side and race through the intersection. According to the indictment, the driver and passenger were seriously injured. Both were taken from the scene of the accident to Grand View Hospital, and Lillo was pronounced dead a short time later.

At the scene, Jarrett told police he was exceeding the speed limit. When asked about his approximate speed, he replied, “Um, pretty fast. Um, a hundred,” police said.

Investigators said they determined through witness testimony, interviews with Jarrett and Buckman and nearby surveillance footage that Jarrett and Buckman were speeding in the southbound lanes before the crash. Data from the airbag control module in the Mitsubishi showed the vehicle was traveling 111 mph (178 km/h) at the time of the crash, and an analysis of video surveillance showed Buckman was traveling 95 mph (153 km/h), according to charging documents.

Hatfield Township Police Officer William J. Summerfield alleged in the criminal complaint:

“The reconstruction of the accident revealed that the speed of the red Mitsubishi caused this accident,” Summerfield claimed. “(The vehicles were driven in) complete reckless and wanton disregard for the safety of other persons or property.”

All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled from public court records.