Lehigh County District Attorney Jim Martin and Whitehall Township Police Chief Michael Marks have announced an arrest in the July crash that killed a Whitehall High School student and a Reading man.

Christian Joel Gonzalez Santiago, 27, of Allentown, is charged with accidents involving death or personal injury, a felony of the second degree; two counts of homicide by vehicle and one count of accidents involving death or personal injury while not properly licensed, all felonies of the third degree; recklessly endangering another person, a misdemeanor of the second degree; and related charges of reckless driving, driving vehicle at safe speed, classes of licenses, protective equipment for motorcycle riders, protective headgear and careless driving (unintentional death).

According to the news release announcing the arrest of Santiago, Whitehall police were called to the crash at MacArthur and Mechanicsville roads around 6:45 p.m. July 31. The posted speed limit for this stretch of roadway is 40 mph and, at the time the crash occurred, the weather was clear, according to the report.

The crash involved a 2017 Jeep Renegade, driven by a 17-year-old juvenile, and a motorcycle, driven by 42-year-old Jose Estrada-Estrada, of Reading.

Both Estrada-Estrada and Mia G. Due, a 16-year-old female passenger in the Jeep, were pronounced dead at the scene. Both died from blunt force trauma, and their deaths were ruled accidental by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office.

Video from surveillance cameras along MacArthur Road showed Estrada-Estrada traveling at a high rate of speed in excess of 80 mph just before the crash. The footage showed another motorcycle, also traveling at a high rate of speed, directly adjacent to Estrada-Estrada’s left side, according to the report.

Both motorcycles appeared to be engaged in an “exhibition of speed or acceleration,” Martin said, adding they appeared to be racing.

As the crash occurred, the second motorcycle continued traveling south on MacArthur Road. An investigation revealed Gonzalez Santiago was the driver of the second motorcycle racing next to Estrada-Estrada.

Gonzalez Santiago drove around the crash and into the surrounding area and crowd, according to the report.

The video surveillance showed Gonzalez Santiago returned to the scene of the crash and helped others push the Jeep upright onto its wheels. He was also seen consoling a woman identified as the significant other of Estrada-Estrada.

Mia would have been a junior at WHS.

She was a member of the Zephyrs’ girls soccer team. Her coaches and teammates honored her memory throughout the season with a Minute for Mia, a moment of silence on game days. The opposing team often participated.

The community held countless fundraisers to help with funeral expenses. Her obituary noted a Mia Due Memorial Scholarship Fund is also being established.