BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A 25-year-old Allentown man has been sentenced to state prison in connection with a fatal 2024 crash in Bethlehem.
Jose Vladmir Jerez pleaded guilty on June 10, 2026, to felony charges of homicide by vehicle and accidents involving death or personal injury. He also pleaded guilty to forgery in an unrelated case.
As part of a plea agreement, the remaining charges against Jerez were withdrawn.
Jerez was sentenced Thursday to serve six to 17 years in state prison, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
The case stems from a crash that occurred around 6:50 p.m. on October 13, 2024, in the 700 block of Central Boulevard in Bethlehem.
Bethlehem police responded to what was initially reported as a single-vehicle hit-and-run crash involving a utility pole.
When officers arrived, they found a silver sedan that had traveled off the roadway, up an embankment and into a wooded area along the north side of Central Boulevard.
Investigators said the vehicle sustained severe damage and blood was found inside. However, officers were initially unable to locate the driver or any passengers associated with the vehicle.
The investigation eventually led authorities to Jerez and resulted in the charges against him.
Jerez will now serve his sentence in a Pennsylvania state correctional institution.
