Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
Investigators confirmed to LevittownNow.com Friday that the suspect in a fatal December hit-and-run fled the country.
Ali Hakan Cifter, 35, of Bristol Township, is alleged to have been racing another vehicle along Route 13 near Corson Street in Bristol Borough on the evening of December 19 when he struck 52-year-old borough resident Kevin Williams as he rode his bicycle. In his 2003 Mercedes AMG, Cifter is accused of fleeing the scene.
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Williams, a family man riding home from work, was pronounced dead at the scene due to injuries from the crash.
Police said Cifter, an American citizen originally from Turkey, left the United States on a plane from JFK International Airport on December 21. The 35 year old flew to Serbia and remained on the run as of Friday afternoon.
In court papers filed Friday afternoon in district court, police said Cifter told them via phone after he left the country that he was involved in the fatal crash. He told Sgt. Pete Faight that Williams had jumped out ahead of the Mercedes, adding he fled the scene because he was scared. During the call, Cifter said he was traveling more than 70 mph during the street race with a Honda Civic SI.
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A witness told police the cars were traveling more than 90 mph.
On Christmas eve, Faight received an email from Cifter again admitting his involvement in the crash, police said.
On December 23, Cifter’s roommate alerted authorities on the whereabouts of the Mercedes they were searching for in connection to the crash. Police obtained a search warrant on the Kentucky Lane home in Bristol Township’s Levittown section and seized the vehicle. Investigators were reportedly able to match parts recovered from the crash with the seized vehicle, according to court papers.
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Police said Cifter removed a Florida license plate from the rear of the Mercedes before he left the country. The plate was recovered in a small refrigerator in a bedroom.
Cifters roommate claimed the suspect told him he planned to tow the Mercedes to Florida for repairs.
Cifter is accused of asking his roommate to drive him to get another car he had possession of in New Jersey following the crash.
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According to the suspect’s roommate, Cifter said he was traveling to Michigan to see his daughter. However, co-workers at the truck terminal they both were employed at later informed him Cifter had taken a flight to Turkey.
Deputy District Attorney Robert James said that he will work with federal authorities to find Cifter and have him extradited to the United State for prosecution.
Credit: NBC 10
In the arrest warrant filed Friday, Cifter is charged with a fatal accident, homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, reckless driving and failure to give information and render aid.
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Ali Hakan Cifter, 35, of Kentucky Lane, is charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident, homicide by vehicle and aggravated assault by vehicle, all felonies; one misdemeanor count of involuntary manslaughter and summary counts of reckless driving and failure to give information and render aid.
The case has been assigned to Deputy District Attorney Robert D. James, who said he would work with federal authorities to seek to have Cifter extradited to the United States for prosecution.
Anyone with information that could help investigators is asked to call Faight at 215-788-7813, ext. 2429.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
