A Burlington County man was charged in a fatal hit-and-run in Bristol Township

After more than a month of searching, Bucks County prosecutors have charged a New Jersey man with homicide, accusing him of running over a man with his truck in the parking lot of a McDonald’s in Bristol Township.

Daniel Dietrich, 45, deliberately struck Jason Smith, 47, after the two had parked their vehicles outside the fast-food restaurant on Bristol Pike on Feb. 6, according to the affidavit of probable cause for his arrest. Dietrich then sped away, ignoring calls from Smith’s family and District Attorney Matt Weintraub to come forward and provide information about the events.

It wasn’t until last week, when an anonymous tip led investigators to Dietrich’s home in Palymra, Burlington County, that prosecutors learned of his identity. Dietrich’s truck still bore the distinct, front-end damage it sustained when it struck Smith, the affidavit said.

In an interview with detectives, Dietrich said the events began when he cut off Smith while trying to merge onto Bristol Pike. Later, after he had been driving behind Smith, he said, Smith had refused to proceed through a green light. Dietrich said he turned into the McDonald’s parking lot and the two men got into an argument after Smith followed him.

» READ MORE: Bristol Township police are searching for the driver in an apparent hit-and-run in a McDonald’s parking lot

But detectives, in reviewing surveillance footage from the McDonald’s, found evidence that clashed with Dietrich’s version of what happened.

That footage showed that Dietrich followed Smith into the parking lot and backed his Chevrolet Silverado into a spot, blocking Smith from leaving, according to the affidavit. Smith got out of his truck, carrying a carpenter’s hammer, and approached Dietrich, the footage showed.

Dietrich then suddenly accelerated, turning his truck toward Smith and knocking him down. The impact caused a piece of the truck’s running board end cap to break off, and that piece would ultimately help detectives identify the vehicle.

Dietrich admitted to detectives that he knew he hit Smith, but thought he had just run over his foot. He said he didn’t call police because he was driving on a suspended license.

Smith was taken by medics to Jefferson Torresdale Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.

Smith, who worked as a forklift operator and driver for Kelly Pipe in Falls Township, had gotten engaged last summer to Elise Poore, his longtime girlfriend.

In an interview Monday, Jereme Lowe, Smith’s supervisor and the branch manager at Kelly Pipe, said Smith was “one of the best.”

Smith was riding a bike to work when Lowe hired him a few years back, but had worked his way up the organization, saving up to buy a truck.

“He really was going down the right path and building himself up,” Lowe said. “It’s just tragic what happened to him. He would do anything for anybody, and he is very sorely missed.”