An Allentown man has been charged in the deaths of a couple hit by a vehicle on a city street last year, according to authorities.
Imanol Jose Caraballo, 23, was arraigned Monday on charges alleging he was driving under the influence of marijuana when he hit Luz Daneza Ruiz-Acosta and Christopher Stocker on Dec. 10, 2023, on Hamilton Street.
Caraballo is charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, accidents involving death or personal injury and accidents involving death or personal injury while not licensed, which are felonies, as well as misdemeanors of recklessly endangering another person and DUI. He remains free on $50,000 unsecured bail.
Allentown police said Ruiz-Acosta and Stocker were hit by a vehicle about 1:15 a.m. in the 300 block of Hamilton Street. A sedan was spotted leaving the area of the crash. Ruiz-Acosta and Stocker were taken to a nearby hospital, where they died from their injuries.
A silver sedan was spotted in the 100 block of Walnut Street after the crash. Police said the vehicle had damage to the windshield and hood, and the driver, later identified as Caraballo, was outside the vehicle on the phone with the owner of the vehicle. He told the owner the vehicle was involved in a crash, court documents allege.
When an officer approached him, Caraballo said, “I didn’t see them. I literally looked down and looked right back up, I don’t know what I hit,” charging documents state. He repeatedly asked the officer if he had hit someone, police said.
Caraballo said he panicked and did not know what to do, according to authorities. He did not stop at the scene or try to help Stocker and Ruiz-Acosta, police said.
He consented to a blood test, which showed the presence of marijuana in his system during the crash, court documents state. Investigators viewed surveillance footage near the area that showed the vehicle hitting the couple, according to authorities.
Caraballo’s vehicle was inspected and it did not show any mechanical defects that would have contributed to the crash, police said. Additionally, his license was suspended at the time of the crash, police allege.
Stocker and Ruiz-Acosta were engaged, according to Stocker’s obituary.
