Man Charged in Crash That Killed Allentown Teacher's Assistant

An elderly man was charged in a crash that killed an Allentown teacher’s assistant in September. 

Joseph Fling Jr., 77, of Hatboro, is charged with careless driving - unintentional death and right-of-way of pedestrians in crosswalks, both summary offenses. Officials said citations have been issued and Fling’s license will be suspended for six months if convicted.

On the morning of September 6, Angela Yowakim, 25, was walking to Dieruff High School, where she worked as a teacher’s aide. 

Yowakim was crossing the street at a crosswalk at North Irving Street near Andre Reed Way in Allentown when she was struck by a van driven by Fling, investigators said. She died of multiple blunt force injuries and her death was ruled accidental. 

The deadly crash occurred at 6:42 a.m., only minutes before the activation of signs and lights designating a 15-mph school zone. The school zone is designated from 6:45 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. 

Investigators said the speed limit where the crash occurred is 30 mph and Fling was driving around 37 mph while it was raining heavily in the area. 

“That is not gross negligence,” a spokesperson for the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office wrote. “It does not constitute a gross deviation from the standard of care that a reasonable person would observe in Fling’s situation – 18 Pa. C.S.A. §302 (b)(4).  In fact, the video suggests that he was merely keeping up with the traffic flow at the time. At least two vehicles which were ahead of him passed through the crosswalk before he came into it.”

Fling stopped at the crash and remained at the scene. His windshield wipers and headlights were on and there was no evidence that Fling was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash, according to the District Attorney's Office. He also wasn’t using a cellphone, investigators said.  

Investigators also said Yowakim walked directly into the path of Fling's vehicle and gave no indication that she had spotted it, based on video of the crash.

The District Attorney’s spokesperson also commented on a press conference that was held the day after the crash in which Allentown Police were unable to answer several questions due to it being early in the investigation. 

“Although appropriate at that time due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, not answering helped fuel public speculation that the driver left the scene and/or that he was impaired,” the spokesperson wrote. “Neither was true. In fact, Mr. Fling stopped immediately, was not impaired at all, and cooperated fully with the police investigation.” 

The spokesperson said Fling is being charged because there is “probable cause to believe” that he should have been able to see Yowakim at the crosswalk and stop his vehicle safely. The spokesperson described Fling’s actions as “ordinary negligence– not gross, i.e., criminal negligence; and, therefore not homicide by vehicle.” 

Yowakim’s family said she was a graduate of Dieruff High in 2015 and had worked in the school district since 2019. She was active in the community, volunteering at sports games and helping students with special needs.

“She was always very outgoing,” Mark Yowakim, Angela’s younger brother, said. “She knew everybody, and I would always say ‘who’s that person?' She’s like ‘oh, you don’t know who that person is? That’s so-and-so.”

Yowakim came from a big family of Syrian immigrants. Her father said through tears, “Angela is just like an angel.”