Arrest made in fatal hit-and-run in Lower Merion

A Philadelphia man was arrested in the hit-and-run death of a 72-year-old man in Montgomery County earlier this month, prosecutors said Tuesday.

Farran Haynes, 44, of the 5200 block of West Clarkson Avenue in East Germantown, was charged with accidents involving death and related offenses.

Haynes was driving a flatbed tow truck and was operating the vehicle in excess of the maximum time allowed under federal regulations, prosecutors said. Haynes also was accused of altering a medical certificate he needed to operate a commercial vehicle.

About 9 p.m. Dec. 2, Huiqing Jiang of the unit block of South 22nd Street in Center City was walking along Righters Mill Road just west of Woodbine Avenue in Lower Merion when he was fatally struck by a driver who kept going.

Police said Haynes made three trips that day transporting vehicles from Bala Motor Sports in Bala Cynwyd to Lancaster County. He allegedly exceeded regulations by working nonstop for more than 14 hours.

GPS records show that the tow truck was traveling on Righters Mill at the time of the accident, police said.

A piece of plastic recovered at the scene belonged to the same type of vehicle as the tow truck. An imprint pattern on the chrome bumper was consistent with the corduroy pants worn by the victim.

Surveillance video from a Wawa store shortly after the accident shows Haynes stopping and inspecting the front of the tow truck, police said.

Haynes was arraigned Tuesday and bail was set at $25,000.

bmoran@phillynews.com

215-854-5983 @RobertMoran215