The preliminary hearing for Marco Cuevas Mora for homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence and related charges is scheduled before Magisterial District Judge Thomas A. Palladino Tuesday at 10 a.m.
Palladino’s Court is located at 1 Security Plaza, Suite 101 in Pottstown. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney John Aitchison.
Mora’s arrest last month was a result of a crash that occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, April 22. The defendant killed his front seat passenger, Armando Mora-Lemus in the crash.
Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and West Pottsgrove Township Chief of Police Earl E. Swavely Jr. announced Mora’s arrest last month.
On April 22, at approximately 12:20 a.m. West Pottsgrove Township Police responded to a motor vehicle crash with injuries off of the roadway of Route 422. Police located a one vehicle crash in the woods off of the roadway.
The vehicle involved in the crash was a 2000 Volkswagen Jetta. There were three occupants in the car during the crash.
Upon the arrival of emergency medical personnel it was determined that one of the occupants, who had been ejected from the vehicle, had no signs of life and was later pronounced dead at the location of the crash.
The operator and other occupant of the vehicle sustained injuries and were transported to Reading Hospital for treatment.
Investigators determined that Marco Mora was the operator of the vehicle at the time of the crash. The passengers were Armando Mora-Lemus (ejected from right front seat) and a rear passenger.
Officers at the scene and at the hospital detected alcohol on the defendant’s breath and found him to be visibly impaired. Blood was taken from the defendant at Reading Hospital and it was submitted to National Medical Services for analysis.
Crash reconstructionists determined that the defendant was traveling at a minimum speed of 79 miles per hour when he lost control of his vehicle.
The vehicle crossed through the westbound lane of travel of the roadway and went onto the berm.
The left, front headlight and hood area of the vehicle struck the raised guardrail. The vehicle went up onto the guardrail and over the guardrail airborne in a northwest direction.
The vehicle came in contact with several tree tops as it flipped end over end and rotated passenger side over driver side while traveling over 117 feet before the rear of the vehicle struck the ground well off the roadway in the woods.
The vehicle then continued rolling side over side for an additional distance of 85 feet striking several trees before coming to rest in a ditch. The right, front seat passenger was ejected via the broken out sunroof of the vehicle as it was coming to rest.
On Sunday, April 22, an autopsy was performed by the forensic pathologist associated with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office. The doctor determined the cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the crash.
Upon the defendant’s release from the hospital he was arrested by police. In an earlier conversation with a police officer, while at the Reading Hospital, the defendant said he had enough of the USA and was going back to Mexico.
Consequently, after his arrest the defendant was incarcerated so that he could not flee, and Immigration and Nationalization Services placed a detainer on him so that he could not get out of prison even if he makes bail.
Source: Montgomery County District Attorney
