Dimple Patel surrenders to police after fatal crash on I-95 in March

PHILADELPHIA – A multi-vehicle crash on a busy Philadelphia roadway left two people dead, and police now say the drunk driver responsible turned himself in to authorities months later.

Dimple Patel was charged last week with vehicular homicide under the influence of alcohol, vehicular homicide, involuntary manslaughter, driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless driving and related offenses.

The charges stem from a fatal crash that occurred on I-95 North near the Betsy Ross Bridge in the early morning hours of March 3.

Police said Patel was speeding and driving hands-free when she rear-ended a vehicle, causing a four-vehicle collision.

MORE TITLES:

Aktilek Baktybekov and Tolobek Esenbekov were both hit and killed by Patel’s vehicle.

Police said Esenbekov stopped to help Baktybekov, whose vehicle was stuck on the shoulder and partially in the left lane.

Baktybekov was standing on the road at the time of the accident, while Esenbekov got out of his vehicle.

Months later, Patel was charged in connection with the crash and turned herself in to Pennsylvania State Police Tuesday morning.

An NTSB spokesperson said they are conducting a parallel investigation with state police because of the use of partially automated vehicle technology.

In a statement, the Pennsylvania State Police said: “The Pennsylvania State Police urges drivers to always remain vigilant and limit distractions while driving. No partially automated vehicle technology should ever be left alone to perform the driving tasks necessary to safely navigate the Commonwealth’s roadways. While technological advancements are immense, always strive to maintain control of your vehicle. If you are driving hands-free, be alert and prepared to regain control if the situation warrants your immediate response.”

David Aylor, vice president of active safety for the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says they monitor the systems and safeguards in place for drivers.

“The key thing for us is to make sure that these systems keep the driver engaged, and that they know that they’re not driving completely autonomously, and that they’re responsible for monitoring their environment and the situation around them,” he said. “If you look at several of the factors that are causing deaths in our country, drunk driving, speeding, unrestrained occupants, those are three big problems and none of these systems are going to solve those problems, so those are problems that we as a society really need to solve.”

Zak Goldstein, Dimple Patel’s attorney, said they are still investigating the allegations.

“Ms. Patel turned herself in this morning as requested and is presumed innocent,” he said in a text message to FOX 29’s Kelly Rule. “These deaths are of course a tragedy. It has been widely reported that the state police indicated that the vehicle was driving itself, so we are looking into that. We look forward to resolving this matter in court.”