An Emmaus motorist has been arrested in a crash in which a Salisbury Township driver was fatally injured, according to a news release from the Lehigh County District Attorney’s office dated Sept. 14.

Chase Ryan Strahler, 25, of Emmaus, is charged with alleged homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, a felony of the second degree; homicide by vehicle, a felony of the third degree; recklessly endangering another person, a misdemeanor of the second degree; driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance and driving under the influence of alcohol or a controlled substance - 0.16 BAC or greater; both misdemeanors and summary charges of reckless driving, careless driving - unintentional death and driving a vehicle at safe speed, according authorities.

The crash occurred in October 2022.

The accident was detailed as follows in the news release:

At 12:50 a.m. Oct. 2, 2022, Allentown police, fire and EMS responded to the 400 block of South 24th Street for a crash with injuries.

Officers found a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the southbound travel lane of the street facing east and a Hyundai Sonata in the yard of a nearby home with damage to the driver side.

John Sassaman, 63, of Salisbury Township, the injured motorist in the Hyundai, was taken to a hospital where he died of his injuries, according to authorities.

It was determined Sassaman died from multiple blunt force injuries due to the crash and his death was ruled accidental by Lehigh County Coroner Daniel Buglio.

Officers at the crash scene noted Strahler, the driver of the Jeep, allegedly smelled of alcohol and his speech was slurred. Strahler’s blood alcohol content was 0.20 percent, according to authorities.

An investigation determined Sassaman’s car was southbound on South 24th Street when it struck a parked car. Following that collision, Strahler’s Jeep then struck both vehicles.

The speed limit on the area of South 24th Street where the fatal crash occurred has a posted speed limit of 35 mph.

Investigation of the crash included an extensive accident reconstruction which determined Sassaman’s fatal injuries occurred during the crash caused by Strahler and not by Sassaman’s vehicle first striking the parked car. At the time of his death, Sassaman’s blood alcohol content was 0.09 percent, according to authorities.

A visibility study was also conducted and found Strahler was traveling 41 to 44 mph at the time of the crash and “a normal, coherent and sober driver would have had enough time to stop and avoid the crash,” authorities wrote in the news release.