In emotional testimony inside a packed courtroom Wednesday morning, witnesses recalled frantically trying to pull a dying Pennsylvania State Trooper from under a burning tractor-trailer moments before a judge sent all criminal charges to county court against the truck driver accused in the fatal crash.
Following a lengthy preliminary hearing inside Courtroom 1 of the Schuylkill County Courthouse, Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli held all charges for court against Michael Bon, 34, of Brockton, Massachusetts. Bon is accused of vehicular homicide in the July 1 crash along Interstate 81 that killed Trooper Michael Pahira, a member of the State Police Motor Carrier Enforcement team.
The hearing was moved from Tarantelli’s normal office in Frackville to the county courthouse in Pottsville to accommodate a massive turnout. Troopers from Troop L barracks filled the half the courtroom’s gallery alongside Pahira’s family.
‘I Immediately Went Towards the Truck’
The morning’s most gripping testimony came from Michael Adams, a supervisor with an excavation company who was working roughly 100 yards from the highway when the crash occurred.
Adams testified that he initially saw a column of smoke and thought a nearby building was on fire. Upon getting closer, he realized a severe crash had occurred on I-81. Adams and two co-workers climbed a fence along the interstate. From about 30 yards away, he saw someone pinned beneath a burning rig.
“I immediately went towards the truck,” Adams testified.
Adams said his sole focus was pulling the man on the ground – later identified as Pahira – from under the front bumper of a tractor-trailer that was rapidly becoming engulfed in flames.
Adams recalled approaching the Trooper and saying, “The truck is on fire. I need to pull you out.”
Pahira could only respond by uttering the word “Legs” while pointing his right index finger toward a grassy area off the shoulder, signaling where he needed to be moved.
Adams testified that his first attempt to drag Pahira failed when the Trooper’s shirt began tearing. He tried a second time by grabbing Pahira’s protective vest, but the Velcro fasteners tore open under the strain.
Meanwhile, southbound truck driver Maurice Foster had pulled over after witnessing an explosion about a half-mile ahead of him. Foster testified that intense smoke and fire forced him into the passing lane as he approached the crash scene. After seeing Pahira pinned under the rig, Foster stopped, got out, and called 9-1-1.
While on the phone with dispatchers, Foster saw Adams and his co-workers scale the fence. He also observed Bon emerge from the second tractor-trailer involved in the collision. Foster testified that Bon initially walked out wearing only socks before returning to his cab to put on boots, after which Bon attempted to help rescue Pahira.
“It looked like he just woke up, like he fell asleep,” Foster testified regarding Bon’s appearance.
As Foster spoke with dispatchers, Adams and his two co-workers made a third attempt to free Pahira. Foster relayed warnings from 9-1-1 dispatchers that the bystanders needed to back away due to the dangerous scene.
Adams broke down near tears on the witness stand as he remembered that moment.
“The dispatcher was saying get away from the truck,” Adams testified. “I’m not going to stay here and watch somebody burn.”
Adams and his co-workers successfully pulled Pahira clear of the flames and onto the grass. Reflecting on the chaos, Adams added, “Seconds seemed like hours. Minutes seemed like seconds.”
Dashcam Captures Final Seconds Before Impact
The court also heard testimony from Walter Reinoso, the truck driver whom Pahira had pulled over shortly before 7 a.m. on the southbound shoulder near Exit 119.
Testifying through an interpreter, Reinoso said Pahira had followed him for a couple of minutes before activating his emergency lights to initiate a routine safety check. Reinoso pulled onto the right shoulder, where the highway opens into three lanes at the exit ramp.
Reinoso testified that the inspection had lasted about 40 minutes and was nearly complete when Bon’s southbound rig struck his vehicle.
Schuylkill County District Attorney Mike O’Pake played dashcam video recovered from Reinoso’s truck capturing the moments just before the crash. On the recording, Pahira – who was standing on the step of Reinoso’s cab – can be heard telling Reinoso, “We’re good.”
Seconds later, Bon’s rig veered off the roadway, clipped the driver-side mirror of Pahira’s parked patrol vehicle, and slammed into Reinoso’s truck.
The collision knocked Reinoso out of his seat. Reinoso testified that he looked up, saw the ceiling of his cab, and got out through the passenger-side door.
“There was fire. The other truck was burning,” Reinoso testified, adding, “I didn’t feel anything because I was scared.”
Police testified that the impact knocked Pahira off the truck and pinned him beneath Reinoso’s front bumper before the vehicles caught fire.
Defense Argues Medical Seizure
Bon’s defense attorney, John Waldron of Allentown, asked few questions during cross-examination but began establishing a defense theory: that Bon suffered a sudden medical seizure that caused him to lose control of his rig.
Waldron questioned Trooper Benjamin Scott of the State Police Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialist team on whether he considered medical factors. Scott testified that while a medical event is a possibility, he has not yet reviewed Bon’s medical records or spoken with physicians in the United States or in Haiti, where Bon is originally from.
Scott further testified that scene reconstruction showed clear conditions on the highway. He testified that Bon had ample time and distance to slow down or move into the passing lane upon approaching the flashing emergency lights of Pahira’s vehicle.
Cpl. John Sleboda, head of the Troop L Crimes Unit, testified under questioning by Waldron that Bon disclosed during an interview at Schuylkill County Prison that he had suffered a single prior seizure in 2017.
When Waldron asked if a seizure could “cause an accident,” Sleboda responded from the stand: “I’d call it a crash, not an accident.”
Case Bound Over for Trial
Following the testimony, Tarantelli ordered all charges held for the Schuylkill County Court of Common Pleas.
Bon faces felony counts of vehicular homicide and aggravated assault by vehicle, alongside misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person. Tarantelli also held summary traffic offenses, including reckless driving, careless driving, failure to yield to emergency response vehicles, disregarding traffic lanes, and failure to obey traffic control devices.
Bon remains held at Schuylkill County Prison in lieu of $700,000 bail. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has placed a detainer on Bon, alleging he is in the country illegally. Court records show Bon obtained a non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License through Massachusetts after entering the United States from Haiti.
More From Coal Region Canary
See all stories ›
Flood Watch Issued for Schuylkill County on Thursday
4 hours ago
Nabholz Has Allowed Just 1 Earned Run in 5 Appearances Since Promotion to Eugene
12 hours ago
Schuylkill County Man Used Brother’s Name During Traffic Stop Because He’d Been Sentenced to Jail for Driving on a Suspended License
13 hours ago
Barton Cards Sub-70 Round to Pace Haven; Blue Mountain Sweeps Tri-Match
14 hours ago
PennDOT to Host Winter Job Fair in Schuylkill County
16 hours ago
Schuylkill County Man Wanted After Police Say He Traded Nude Photos With 16-Year-Old
17 hours agoSubscribe to Coal Region Canary
Get email updates from Coal Region Canary by becoming a subscriber today. Just enter your email address below to get started!Support Coal Region Canary
Like our reporting and want to support truly local news in Schuylkill County? Your small donations help. For as little as $5, your contribution will allow us to cover more news that directly affects you. Consider donating today by hitting the big yellow button below ...