A Massachusetts man has been charged with vehicular homicide in the death of Schuylkill County State Police Trooper Michael Pahira on Wednesday.
Michael Bon, 33, of Brockton, MA, was arraigned Wednesday evening before Magisterial District Judge Christian Lengel. He’s being held at Schuylkill County Prison on $700,000 bail. Bon is charged with felony counts of vehicular homicide and vehicular aggravated assault as well as two misdemeanor counts of reckless endangerment and one count of involuntary manslaughter. He’s also facing several summary traffic offenses.
Bon was behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle traveling southbound on Interstate 81 near Mile Marker 119 in Schuylkill County at about 7 a.m. Police say at the same time, Pahira – a member of the State Police Motor Vehicle Enforcement team – was conducting a roadside inspection on another commercial vehicle.
Pahira was outside his vehicle standing in the vicinity of the cab of the vehicle he was inspecting. That vehicle was stationary on the right shoulder of the highway. Pahira’s marked patrol vehicle was directly behind that vehicle with its emergency lights activated, police say.
Bon’s vehicle left the roadway and struck the side-view mirror of Pahira’s vehicle, according to the latest information available from State Police. His vehicle then collided with the tractor-trailer Pahira was inspecting, pushing it further off the road. Bon’s vehicle then struck Pahira.
Both commercial vehicles caught fire.
Pahira was seriously injured at the scene and rushed to Lehigh Valley Hospital-East in Pottsville, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The driver of the vehicle Pahira was inspecting is currently receiving medical treatment, police say. Bon was uninjured.
Pahira, 44, was a 2001 graduate of North Schuylkill High School and a 20-year State Police veteran.
Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Pottsville on Wednesday to meet with Pahira’s family and friends. He ordered flags across Pennsylvania to be flown at half-staff in honor of Pahira.
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