A Philadelphia police officer has been charged in connection with a fatal accident that occurred in January while the officer was off duty. According to police, Adam Soto, 25, a three-year veteran of the force, has been charged with felony homicide by vehicle and misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter after striking a pedestrian who died from his injuries.
Soto has been suspended from the force since the incident although officials plan to formally dismiss him when his suspension expires.
Soto turned himself over to Internal Affairs after an investigation. According to the police investigation, Soto was driving his personal vehicle more than 80 mph while off duty on January 16. He struck a pedestrian, 50-year-old Daniel Dimitri, at around 11:30 am. Dimitri died from his injuries at 12:30 pm.
Soto was driving east on Cottman Avenue struck Dimitri as he was running across the street. According to Kathleen Martin, First Assistant District Attorney, Soto’s actions were especially egregious because the accident occurred at a well-traveled intersection mid-morning.
The investigation found that a fellow off-duty police officer, 25-year-old Tony Forest, was driving his car recklessly on the same street in the same direction at the same time as Soto. While Forest is not facing criminal charges, he does face departmental violations for his actions. Also a three-year veteran, Forest has been suspended and will be dismissed by the police department.
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