A 39-year-old man from suburban Philadelphia has been arrested and charged with a variety of DUI and homicide by vehicle offenses after being connected with a hit-and-run incident last Sunday. The fatal motorcycle accident caused catastrophic harm to a 26-year-old rider who died from his injuries the next day.

Police tracked down the 39-year-old after discovering his damaged truck abandoned off the side of a road with no license plates. The man, who had bruising that indicated he had been struck by a deploying airbag, told police that he had no details about the condition of the truck or the accident because he had sold the vehicle recently. The seemingly suspicious scenario led investigators to comb over the 39-year-old's family, friends and people who last saw him prior to the motorcycle accident.

Investigators were told the man attended a Super Bowl party where he consumed alcohol and still decided to drive home. When police caught up with the 39-year-old, he was already in custody for violating his parole for a prior offense. The man then confessed his involvement in the motorcycle accident, revealing that he was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol when he was behind the wheel before the fatal crash.

Considering the details in this story, it does not seem like it is a matter of "if" the deceased man's family will file a wrongful death suit against the 39-year-old, but rather "when." If convicted, the actions of the 39-year-old man before, during and after the motorcycle accident are consistent with a reckless person making negligent and irresponsible decisions, and he would be liable for the circumstances of the wreck.

Source: WPVI, "Arrest in Chester County hit-and-run that killed motorcyclist," Feb. 13, 2012