Tajair Anthony Delbridge.
Credit: Bucks County District Attorney’s Office
A Philadelphia man has been charged in connection with a fatal November 2023 hit-and-run crash that killed a former employee of the Starbucks in Newtown.
Tajair Anthony Delbridge, 25, turned himself in to Bristol Township authorities on Friday following a recommendation of charges from the Bucks County Investigative Grand Jury.
Delbridge appeared before District Judge Kevin Wagner late Friday afternoon and faced charges of accidents involving death, hindering apprehension or prosecution, tampering with physical evidence, criminal solicitation to make a false report, possession of a small amount of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Court documents unsealed after the arrested revealed that Delbridge is accused of hitting and killing 28-year-old skateboarder Joel Moreau, of Bristol Township’s Levittown section, around 10:16 p.m. on November 24, 2023, in the 1500 block of Haines Road in Bristol Township.
On the night of November 24, 2023, Delbridge was driving the vehicle that struck Moreau, who was found deceased in the northbound lane of Haines Road when officers arrived, police said.
An eyewitness reported seeing a newer model red Kia traveling behind Moreau on his skateboard, according to court papers.
After hearing a loud bang, the witness observed the skateboarder lying unresponsive on the road and noted the red Kia had sustained significant front-end damage before fleeing the scene, authorities said.
Police identified the vehicle as a 2022 red Kia K5, which was found abandoned following the crash, authorities said.
The vehicle’s damage was consistent with a pedestrian strike, authorities said.
Inside the car, officers detected the smell of marijuana and found marijuana-related paraphernalia, according to law enforcement.
Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had been rented to Delbridge through a private rental business.
Delbridge allegedly contacted the business owner at 10:40 p.m., which was approximately 30 minutes after the crash, instructing the owner to report the Kia as stolen.
Security camera footage from a nearby business showed the red Kia entering the lot, with Delbridge and a female passenger exiting before re-entering and driving away. The vehicle was later found a few miles from the scene.
Police identified the female passenger and confirmed that Delbridge was the driver on the night of the crash.
The grand jury heard testimony from several witnesses and reviewed evidence before recommending charges against Delbridge.
Among those testifying was Bristol Township Sgt. Mark Titus, who led the crash investigation, and the woman in the car with Delbridge the night of the crash.
Court documents showed that during the grand jury investigation, Delbridge appeared before the grand jury but invoked his Fifth Amendment rights when questioned about the night of the crash.
The Fifth Amendment provides several key protections for individuals who may face criminal charges, with one of the most well-known being the right against self-incrimination.
Joel Moreau, born and raised in Montgomery County, had several siblings.
“He enjoyed skateboarding, fishing, drawing, listening to music, swimming, reading, and video games. He had a great sense of humor and loved to make us all laugh. Joel was a student of Spring Ford High school. He graduated from Teen Challenge in Newport News, Virginia, where he also received his GED. After graduating, he worked at Teen Challenge for a year, worked detailing cars at a car auction for seven years, and most recently, he worked at Newtown Starbucks,” according his obituary.
“We are grateful for the work of the Bucks County Grand Jury and the Bristol Township Police Department for their role in helping to solve this case. Hopefully, their work will lead to getting justice for Mr. Moreau and his loved ones,” the district attorney’s office said in a statement.
The district judge set Delbridge’s bail at 10 percent of $2 million. As of Tuesday, he remained in the Bucks County Correctional Facility.
Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
