Man Sentenced To Prison For Christmas Eve Crash That Killed Beloved Family Man

For the family of the late John Dugan, Christmas will never be the same.

Dugan’s family told Bucks County Court of Common Pleas Judge Wallace Bateman Tuesday that Kevin Michael Baker Jr., 21, of Bensalem Township, took a hard working father, father-in-law, and grandfather out of the world on Christmas Eve 2021 along State Road in Bristol Township’s Croydon section.

The family of Dugan, 65, of Croydon, and Baker gathered in the Bucks County Justice Center for the younger man’s plea agreement related to the death of the 65-year-old man and an unrelated drug case.

Bateman handed down a two-and-a-half year to five year sentence in state prison to Baker, as part of an agreement made by the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office and defense attorney Lou Busico. The Dugan family and Baker agreed to the deal.

Baker pleaded no contest to one count of involuntary manslaughter and guilty to one count of manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance.

Dugan died after he fell and was struck by a pickup truck on Christmas Eve 2021 just past 5 p.m. along State Road in the area of Fourth Avenue.

Following a grand jury investigation and recommendation of charges in April 2022, Baker surrendered to police.

Dugan’s fiancée said he had “two left feet” and several medical conditions that made it difficult for him to walk. She tried to get him up as soon as he fell in the roadway, but, a pickup truck “passed me extremely fast and hit John,” according to the grand jury presentation.

Dugan was rushed by ambulance and pronounced dead at Jefferson Torresdale Hospital in Philadelphia.

Bristol Township police received a tip Baker cleaned the driver-side bumper of the wanted pickup truck at an address in Falls Township’s Morrisville section. Baker also appeared to be attempting to fix the vehicle’s fog light using duct tape. The tipster also provided video of the activity, police said.

The tips led Bristol Township police to Baker, who came to the police station with his dad. His pickup truck was surrendered.

“Officer Margerum performed an inspection on Kevin Baker Jr.’s red Chevy Silverado. During the inspection, Officer Margerum observed damage to the truck that was consistent with the crash that caused John Dugan’s death. Officer Margerum noted that the vehicle was otherwise ‘super clean.’ Officer Margerum brought the bottom shroud of the bumper from Baker Jr.’s truck to Grand Jury and presented the damage to that vehicle part that related to this crash, including a rip repair in the area of the driver’s side fog light,” the grand jury wrote.

Baker most likely would not have been held criminally accountable for Dugan’s death if he had not fled the scene, according to Bristol Township police Officer Kenneth Margerum, a crash reconstruction officer and lead investigator.

The grand jury determined that speeding was not a factor in the accident and that Baker may not have seen Dugan in time to avoid hitting him.

Baker’s father pleaded his Fifth Amendment right when asked by the grand jury if he discussed the crash with his son prior to making the plan to go over to the police station, according to the court filing.

Shortly before the collision, Baker and his girlfriend had just left a family gathering in Croydon and were traveling towards Bensalem Township.

Baker’s girlfriend testified she was feeling ill and sleeping when she was a passenger in her boyfriend’s pickup on Christmas Eve.

“If something happened, I wouldn’t know. I was asleep,” she reportedly testified.

Dugan had three kids and six grandchildren. He was a U.S. Army veteran and volunteered at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post.

Before the judge on Tuesday afternoon, Jamie Santos, one of Dugan’s daughters, recalled her father as a “good, hardworking man.”

“My dad, John was loving, caring, and forgiving,” she said, noting he loved to be around kids.

“I will always miss my dad and wish there was a chance to make things happen differently that night,” she said. “I am forever lost without him.”

Brittney Dugan spoke of losing her father-in-law and having to explain his death to her kids on Christmas morning after they opened their gifts.

Brittney Dugan spoke of the struggles her husband and kids have gone through since the death, noting her and her husband haven’t had a chance to truly grieve.

Tina Mazzatenta, who was set to marry Dugan and was there for the fatal strike, was overcome with emotion while testifying.

“He was a great man,” she said. “He was kind and funny.”

Mazzatenta said the couple were always together since they met in 2009 and he often would bring her a dozen roses.

Busico, Baker’s defense attorney, told LevittownNow.com after the sentencing that his client maintains he was not aware that he had struck a person. The attorney said the Silverado Baker was driving was several feet off the ground and had an off-road suspension.

“We thought this resolution was a way to get closure to everybody,” Busico said.

“This has been a long road for John Dugan’s family who waited nearly two years for justice to be served,” Deputy District Attorney Jovin Jose said.

Baker’s drug case was separate from the crash and involved the young man dealing large quantities of marijuana from his Bensalem Township apartment while out on bail from the case involving the Christmas Eve death.

“In total, the Bensalem Township Police Special Investigations Unit seized 15 pounds of marijuana, over 200 THC vape cartridges, numerous edibles, and over $120,000 in U.S. currency,” a police statement said from the time of the arrest.

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