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Dhanraj Itwaru who had been staying in Jamaica, NY along with his passenger, a girl from South Ozone Park, was fleeing from troopers in his 1999 Honda CRV along I-81 South near mile marker 75 in West Hanover Township around 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, according to the PSP release.
Itwaru was in the left lane, while 36-year-old Emily Petroski was driving a 2018 Subaru Forester in front of him, so she moved to the middle lane— unexpectedly Itwaru swerved partially hitting a median, temporarily losing control of his vehicle, and then swerved back across the left lane— striking Petroski, and pushing both of their vehicles into a tractor-trailer 50-year-old Brian Ball was driving in the far right lane, state police detail in the release.
All three vehicles were disabled and towed, according to the release.
Itwaru and the teenage girl in his car were taken to West Shore Medical Center with minor injuries while under police custody.
Petroski suffered minor injuries that did not require hospitalization and Ball was unharmed, according to the release.
Itwaru was charged with 37 offenses including Fleeing or Attempting to Elude Police, Accidents Involving Death or Injury While Not Licensed, DUI, related drug charges, Reckless Endangering, and numerous summary traffic violations, police say and court records confirm.
He has been denied bail after being deemed a flight risk and a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was issued, according to court records.
He has been held in the Dauphin County Prison until his preliminary hearing scheduled before Magisterial District Judge Dale E. Klein on March 2 at 11 a.m., as detailed in his court docket.
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