WASHINGTON TWP., Lehigh County, Pa. — Charges have been filed more than a year after a wrong-way driver struck and killed a motorcyclist on the Pennsylvania Turnpike — and police say the suspect remains at large.
Onanyeli Rosario-Mesa, 25, of Allentown, is charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and related offenses stemming from a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 476 northbound at mile marker 67.0 in Washington Township, Lehigh County.
Pennsylvania State Police were called to the scene around 9 a.m. on March 30, 2025. Upon arrival, Rosario-Mesa allegedly told officers: “It’s all my fault, I was tired and falling asleep. I thought I bumped into something and then woke up.” When asked whether she had been drinking, she reportedly replied that she had consumed “two or three shots of tequila.”
Multiple 911 callers and video surveillance footage confirmed that Rosario-Mesa’s vehicle was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes of I-476, passing several vehicles that had pulled to the shoulder to avoid a collision, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
Two damaged motorcycles were found at the scene. One rider, identified as 50-year-old John Sweeney Jr., was pronounced dead at the scene. The Lehigh County Coroner ruled his death accidental, citing blunt force injuries sustained in the crash.
“We did a blood test that came back that included blood alcohol content above the legal limit for driving that occurred at the time of the crash.”
— Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan
A hospital blood draw allegedly returned a BAC of 0.104% — above Pennsylvania’s legal limit of 0.08%. Investigators also found a text message on Rosario-Mesa’s phone, sent roughly 90 minutes before the crash, that read: “I hate alcohol I be talking too much nonsense.”
DA Holihan explained the more than one-year timeline between the crash and charges, saying the length of time is not unusual. “We like to take a lot more time to make sure it’s complete, make sure it’s accurate, and that we have a full picture of what happened, including the videos, the reconstruction from the roadway evidence, as well as the digital evidence preserved on the cell phones,” he said.
An arrest warrant has been issued for Rosario-Mesa, but she remains at large as of publication. This case is being investigated by Pennsylvania State Police.
📌 Anyone with information on Rosario-Mesa’s whereabouts is asked to call 911 immediately.
