Towamencin Woman Charged With Homicide by Vehicle in Hatfield Hit-and-Run Death

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman and Hatfield Township Police Chief Mark Toomey said Sarah Ann Derstein had a BAC level more than twice the legal limit and was reading a text message when she allegedly struck and killed Dennis Kee, 15, of Hatfield, on April 26 on Route 309.

Derstein lost her license for a year in 2010 through ARD court in Montgomery County for a DUI offense in Towamencin Township, according to court records.

Derstein, 31, of Clemens Court, Towamencin, has been arrested and charged with felony homicide by vehicle, felony homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, two felony counts of accidents involving death or personal injury, felony aggravated assault by vehicle, four counts of misdemeanor reckless endangerment, misdemeanor lying to police, misdemeanor DUI with BAC above .16, misdemeanor DUI causing impairment of driving safely, possession of marijuana, failing to stop and render aid, failing to notify police of an accident or death, careless driving causing an unintentional death, careless driving, disregarding a traffic lane, reckless driving and driving while using text-based communications, according to court records.

Derstein remains in Montgomery County prison on $100,000 cash bail, following a Friday morning arraignment before District Judge Kenneth Deatelhauser in Souderton District Court.

Kee was killed while walking on the shoulder of Route 309 the late evening of April 26.

Police responded at 11:34 p.m. April 26 to a report of a pedestrian struck by a car on Route 309 near Mill Road.

Kee was found adjacent to the southbound shoulder of the road, police said. He was transported to Lehigh Valley Medical Center for treatment, and was pronounced dead at 12:35 a.m.

An autopsy revealed Kee died from mutliple blunt force injuries. 

Police said Kee was walking with four friends, when he and Deshawn Page, 15, were allegedly struck by Derstein's 2007 Toyota Corolla.

Kee was catapulted over the guardrail and landed in a field about 15 feet from the roadway, police said.

Page suffered a broken elbow as a result of the accident, police said.

After allegedly hitting Kee and Page, Derstein allegedly fled the scene, police said. Kee and Page's friends ran to a nearby shopping center to call for help.

Police executed a search warrant on Derstein's cell phone, which showed that she continued southbound on Route 309 to Ogontz and Cheltenham avenues in Philadelphia, police said.

She then returned to the scene of the crash at 12:22 a.m., and informed a fire police officer that she hit something on Route 309, police said.

Police officers responded to Derstein's location and found fresh, front-end damage to her car, police said.

Officers spoke with Derstein and suspected she had been drinking, police said. She was taken to Lansdale Hospital for a blood sample to determine BAC.

A lab analysis showed Derstein had a BAC level of .167 percent, more than twice the legal limit in the state of .08, police said.

Prior to the hit-and-run, Derstein was drinking at Hattrick's in Hatfield Borough, reported Ferman to PhillyBurbs.com. 

Derstein was also allegedly texting someone about buying and smoking marijuana, according to Ferman.

Marijuana was also found in a cigarette pack in Derstein's car, police said. 

The investigation revealed that Derstein allegedly consumed multiple alcoholic beverages prior to the crash, and was reading a text message at the time of the crash, police said. 

According to the affidavit, Derstein told police she hit "something" and got "freaked out" because she had been drinking. Derstein drove to Hilltown Crossing Shopping Center, parked at the McDonald's near Walmart and called her mother, according to the complaint.

Derstein allegedly told police she continued further down Route 309 to Montgomeryville, but a search warrant showed Derstein drove as far as Cheltenham before turning around and going back to the scene.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Jordan Friter.

A preliminary hearing is set for June 3 in Souderton District Court.

Souderton District Court hears cases for arrests in Hatfield Borough, Souderton Borough, Telford Borough, Franconia Township, and Hatfield Township (Voting Districts 2, 3, and 4). All other Hatfield Township cases go before District Judge Andrea Duffy in Montgomeryville.

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