A 42-year-old woman died after her motor scooter was involved in a crash with another vehicle in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, officials said. The crash happened around 11:35 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12, 2026, in the 1600 block of South 4th Street in Allentown, officials said. The woman, who was ope rating the motor scooter, was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash, officials said. She was taken to the emergency department at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, where she was pronounced dead at 3:01 a.m. Saturday. An investigation revealed that the woman on the scooter was traveling southbound on South 4th Street, and had just proceeded through the intersection near Lexington Street with a group of two other motor scooter drivers. Witnesses told investigators that an SUV traveling behind the group of motor scooters struck the women’s scooter from behind. The SUV driver then fled the scene. The driver, identified as Eliezer Julius Santiago of Allentown, was taken into custody a short distance away after he nearly struck a police vehicle responding to the crash. Several witnesses told police that, prior to the fatal crash, Santiago’s vehicle had been driving erratically, according to officials. City and business cameras also captured the entire crash. Santiago is charged with felony aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence and other related offenses. Officials said Santiago is in Lehigh County Jail under $500,000 bail. An autopsy is scheduled for Monday at the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office Forensic Center to help determine the cause of death of the woman, officials said. The woman has been positively identified, but officials said her name would not be released Saturday as the coroner’s office works to contact her next of kin and give additional family members time to be notified. ...read more read less