Trucker Charged in Rt. 309 Wreck That Left Teen Injured

A tractor-trailer driver from North Carolina has been charged with aggravated assault by vehicle and recklessly endangering another person for allegedly causing an accident on Rt. 309 in Upper Saucon Township last spring that left a teenage boy seriously injured.

Lehigh Valley Live reported Tuesday that Larry Salmeron Acosta, 35, of Statesville, N.C., allegedly ran a red light on Rt. 309 and was talking on his cell phone, according to police, when the crash happened at around 10:44 p.m. May 13 near the I-78 split.

The boy whose vehicle was struck was subsequently found by responders lying on the ground nearby with serious injuries that included fractured ribs and a broken leg which required surgical treatment, the news site reported.

According to Lehigh County court records, in addition to the felony aggravated assault and misdemeanor reckless endangerment charges, Salmeron Acosta has been cited for reckless driving, failure to stop at a red signal, speeding, removing or rendering inoperable regulated equipment and operating with unsafe equipment.

Following a preliminary arraignment Tuesday before District Judge Michael Pochron, he was released on $50,000 unsecured bail, according to the court docket filed in the case.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled to be held Monday, Nov. 15 at 11:15 a.m. before District Judge Daniel Trexler in Coopersburg, according to the docket.

Court papers did not list an attorney for Salmeron Acosta as of Wednesday.

Note: All individuals accused of or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This story was compiled using information from third-party news sources and Lehigh County court records.