A Philadelphia man will have at least three years and up to six years to think about the choices and decisions he made on the night of November 24, 2023 when he struck and killed 28 year-old Joel Moreau on Haines Road in Levittown while riding his skateboard.
Joel Moreau, 28 of Bristol Township was killed approximately 10:16 p.m. on November 24, 2023, as he rode his skateboard on the 1500 block of Haines Road.
Tajair Anthony Delbridge, 26, was recently sentenced by Common Pleas Judge Charissa J. Liller to the state prison sentence followed by seven years of probation, after pleading guilty to accidents involving death or personal injury, hindering apprehension or prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, and criminal solicitation to commit false reports.
During the emotional sentencing hearing, the mother and sister of the victim, 28-year-old Joel Moreau, delivered impact statements detailing their profound loss. Moreau’s mother painfully recounted the agonizing struggle to comprehend how someone could strike a person and heartlessly leave them to die on the road, said District Attorney Spokesperson, Manuel Gamiz
Assistant District Attorney Andrew Bukowski also shared impact statements from other family members and friends, including a heartbreaking message from Moreau’s father, who expressed his grief, declaring, “my heart is broken and will never be unbroken.”
Joel Moreau was lovingly remembered by his family and friends as a tender and generous soul, a life senselessly cut short.
The fatal incident occurred around 10:16 p.m. on November 24, 2023, when Joel Moreau, of Bristol Township, was struck and killed while riding his skateboard on the 1500 block of Haines Road.
A Bucks County Investigating Grand Jury recommended charges against Delbridge after hearing testimony from several witnesses and reviewing evidence. The investigation concluded that Delbridge was driving the vehicle involved in the fatal crash. After striking Moreau, Delbridge fled the scene, abandoned the vehicle, and attempted to have it reported stolen.
Bristol Township police were dispatched to the scene after reports of a fatal hit-and-run, where they found Moreau deceased in the northbound lane. An eyewitness reported seeing a newer model red Kia traveling behind Moreau before hearing a loud bang. The witness then observed Moreau unresponsive on the road and the red Kia fleeing the scene with extensive front-end damage.
The vehicle was later identified as a 2022 red Kia K5 and was found abandoned a few miles away. Damage to the vehicle was consistent with a pedestrian strike. Police also detected the smell of marijuana inside the car and located marijuana-related paraphernalia.
Authorities contacted the vehicle’s owner, who stated it had been rented to Delbridge through a private rental business. Approximately 30 minutes after the crash, Delbridge contacted the business owner and instructed her to report the car stolen.
Surveillance footage recovered from a nearby business showed the red Kia pulling into a lot, with the driver and a female passenger exiting the vehicle before re-entering and driving away. Police identified the female passenger, confirming Delbridge was the operator of the vehicle on the night of the crash.
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