Driver Who Struck, Killed Jogger While Speeding Gets Montco Jail Sentence

ABINGTON, PA — A Philadelphia man who struck and killed a local man when he was speeding in his car in late 2019 was sentenced by a state judge to 9 to 18 months behind bars followed by two years' probation, according to media reports and court records.

Hatim Farid Ramadan, 21, was handed sentence by Montgomery County Common Pleas Court Judge Wendy Rothstein after Ramadan pleaded guilty on June 29 to a felony charge of homicide by vehicle.

Court records show that a misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person and a host of summary counts were dismissed in exchange for the felony guilty plea.

A report in the Mercury newspaper stated that Ramadan was speeding in his vehicle on Nov. 26, 2019, in the area of the 900 block of Township Line Road in Abington Township when he jumped the curb and fatally struck 62-year-old Neil Lipschutz, who was out jogging at the time.

The story says that the judge, in handing down sentencing, told the defendant that while "good people can make bad decisions," jail time was still warranted in the case as both punishment for his reckless actions and as a deterrent to others.

"This horrible tragedy was the result of your not abiding by the speed limit," Rothstein was quoted as saying during sentencing.

Lipschutz was reportedly married and a father of two sons.

The Mercury story says that Ramadan had apparently pressed the accelerator on his vehicle when he saw a traffic light begin to change, at which time he lost control of the car, striking the victim.

The posted speed limit at the crash site was reportedly 35 miles per hour while Ramadan was said to have been driving at around 60 miles per hour at the time of the crash.

Court records show that in addition to jail time, Rothstein also ordered Ramadan to perform 100 hours of community service in a public or nonprofit setting.