Montco Man Charged With Homicide In Teen's Car Crash Death

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A Huntingdon Valley man has been arrested and charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence in connection with the Jan. 23, 2022, death of 19-year-old Nicholas Bednarek during a single-vehicle accident in Cheltenham Township.

Alexander Koenigsberg, 18, is facing various criminal charges stemming from Bednarek's death, which occurred when the vehicle driven by Koenigsberg crashed, first striking a guardrail and then plowing into two utility poles.

Bednarek was seated in the rear, passenger side of the vehicle at the time, and he was not wearing a seatbelt, according to investigators.

Three other young passengers in the vehicle were seriously injured during the accident, which took place just after 1:30 in the morning on Jan. 23.

"This young man turned his car into a lethal weapon and caused the crash that killed one passenger and injured three teenaged passengers so badly that they will [be] dealing with their injuries for a very long time," Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele said in a statement. "Many families were forever altered by this defendant's actions, and my heart goes out to all of them."

Koenigsberg has been charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault DUI, driving under the influence, and other related charges.

Prosecutors say that Koenigsberg, who was wearing his seatbelt at the time, was impaired by both alcohol and drugs at the time of the crash, with his blood alcohol concentration estimated to be between 0.136 percent and 0.165 percent.

Authorities also said he tested positive for THC metabolites; THC is an active ingredient in marijuana.

Koenigsberg sustained spinal injuries and a broken clavicle from the crash, according to the D.A.'s Office.

Investigators determined that the cause of the crash was a combination of excessive speed, reckless vehicle operation and Koenigsberg's drug and alcohol impairment.

"The manner Koenigsberg operated his vehicle directly led to the death of Bednarek and caused the severe injuries to the three other passengers in the car at the time of the crash," reads a D.A.'s Office news release.

A 17-year-old female, who was seated unbelted in the middle of the back seat, was sent head-first through the windshield up to her waist at the time of the crash, according to prosecutors. She sustained brain bleed, broken vertebrae, a broken pelvis and other injuries.

Another female passenger who was seated behind the driver, and who was wearing a seat belt, ended up suffering from a spinal injury, fractured ribs and internal injuries, while a third passenger — a male who was seated in the front passenger seat and was wearing a seatbelt —sustained a fractured skull, multiple broken vertebrae and extensive internal injuries that required the use of a ventilator, prosecutors stated.

Accident investigators determined that the Honda Civic driven by Koenigsberg suffered no mechanical problems that could have contributed to the crash.

The force of the crash partially separated the engine compartment from the passenger compartment at the vehicle's firewall; airbags had been deployed at the time of the accident.

The D.A.'s Office said that investigators had determined that the occupants of the vehicles had all attended a birthday party in the hours leading up to the crash at a bowling alley where no alcohol was served.

Prosecutors believe that Koenigsberg and the others had left the party in order to consume alcohol inside the Honda Civic, and that empty alcohol bottles were discovered inside the car after the crash.

A friend of Koenigsberg had reportedly told detectives that he had attempted to take away Koenigsberg's keys a couple times during the night of the party but that he was unsuccessful.

Cheltenham Township police and county detectives determined that Koenigsberg was driving his Honda Civic northbound on Greenwood Avenue at a speed of about 62 miles per hour at the time of the crash in an area that has a posted speed limit of 25 miles per hour.

He lost control of the vehicle while navigating a curve in the roadway after a bridge, and then struck a guardrail, continued across a grassy area, and then plowed into two utility poles, breaking the second pole in multiple places and causing live utility wires to dangle in the roadway, prosecutors stated.

The crash caused the vehicle to rotate 180 degrees before coming to a stop.