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NORRISTOWN — A Norristown man awaits his fate from a judge after he admitted to striking a boy on a bicycle while operating a vehicle on a borough street and driving away from the crash.
Gustavo Adolfo Ramos-Santos, 27, of the 100 block of Stanbridge Street, pleaded guilty in Montgomery County Court to a misdemeanor charge of accidents involving death or personal injury in connection with the May 2023 hit-and-run incident in the borough.
The open guilty plea means Ramos-Santos has no deals with prosecutors regarding his potential sentence.
Judge Risa Vetri Ferman deferred sentencing so that court officials can complete a background investigation report about Ramos-Santos, including drug, alcohol and mental health evaluations.
Ramos-Santos, who remains free on bail pending sentencing, faces a possible maximum sentence of 2½ to 5 years in prison on the charge. However, state sentencing guidelines could allow for a lesser sentence.
The investigation began about 2:06 p.m. May 13, 2023, when Norristown police were dispatched to the intersection of West Airy and Noble streets for a report of a hit-and-run incident involving a pedestrian who was struck.
Arriving officers met with an 11-year-old boy who was struck by a vehicle while riding his bike, according to the criminal complaint filed by Norristown Police Officer Trevor Knechel.
The boy was transported to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment of unspecified injuries, court documents indicate.
Police obtained the tag number for the striking vehicle, a black GMC Terrain SUV and traced it to Ramos-Santos’ address. When police went to the address they inspected the vehicle and observed scratches on the vehicle “which would correspond with the accident report,” Knechel alleged. Police subsequently determined Ramos-Santos had been operating the vehicle at the time of the crash.
“Santos explained that when he hit the child on the bike he was scared and so he left the scene,” Knechel alleged.
A summary charge of driving without a license is scheduled to be dismissed against Ramos-Santos at time of sentencing.
Assistant District Attorney Tanner Beck is handling the case. Defense lawyer Timothy I. Melvin represents Ramos-Santos.
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