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Apar Shirishkumar Patel, 36, was charged with Homicide By Vehicle While DUI, Homicide By Vehicle, two counts of Driving Under the Influence, and four Summary Traffic Offenses, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.
Patel was arraigned before Judge Brian Chudzik on Friday, Nov. 25, with bail set at $250,000. He has since posted bail and remains free, court records show.
The crash occurred at 11:31 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 8, on Route 283 West near mile marker 26.7 in East Hempfield Township. According to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice, Patel was driving a 2025 BMW X5 SUV when he rear-ended a parked tractor-trailer on the shoulder of the highway.
The impact tore open the passenger side of the SUV, rendering the seatbelt useless. Clevenger, of Middletown, was ejected from the vehicle, thrown over the center barrier, and struck by multiple vehicles traveling eastbound. She was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Lancaster County Coroner determined Clevenger’s cause of death to be multiple traumatic injuries from the initial crash and subsequent impacts.
The affidavit, filed by East Hempfield Township Police Sgt. Joshua Sandman, states that Patel and Clevenger had been consuming alcohol at three separate locations in Lancaster city before the crash. Toxicology results from a hospital blood draw revealed Patel had a blood alcohol concentration of .134%, well above the legal limit.
During an interview at Lancaster General Hospital, Patel admitted to drinking cocktails with Clevenger earlier in the evening. Police observed signs of impairment, including slurred speech and difficulty maintaining focus.
A crash reconstruction revealed Patel was speeding, made no effort to slow down, and failed to change lanes to avoid the clearly visible tractor-trailer, which had its hazard lights activated. Investigators also found no roadway, environmental, or mechanical issues that contributed to the crash.
Patel drifted out of his lane, crossing over the white fog line onto the shoulder before striking the rear of the parked trailer. The collision tore off the passenger side of the vehicle, leading to the catastrophic failure of the front passenger seatbelt and ultimately ejecting Clevenger.
“Karra was thrown into oncoming traffic and struck multiple times by eastbound vehicles, making it impossible to immediately identify her,” the affidavit states.
"There were no roadway or environmental factors that contributed to or caused this crash," Sgt. Sandman wrote. "The primary factor in the crash was driver action on the part of the Defendant."
Patel faces prosecution by Assistant District Attorneys Kyle Linardo and Ande Gonzalez. The case remains under investigation.
Click here to donate to the GoFundMe helping Karra's family.
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