City Man Charged in Mother's Day Vehicle Death

A Bethlehem man is facing multiple criminal charges as a result of a Mother’s Day car accident that killed a 27-year-old Freemansburg woman.

Suzanne Morey was sitting in the passenger seat of her own car and Heriberto “Eddie” Diaz was driving along Shimersvlle Road when the car drifted to the right off the road and struck a utility pole, according to court papers.

Morey died of her injuries at , Fountain Hill, four days later. Four children, also riding in the car, were also hurt, including 2-year-old Scarlett Morey, who suffered a skull fracture, the court record says. The other children had less serious injuries, including cuts and scrapes.

Diaz, 46, of 124 Somerset St., was charged today with multiple counts, the most serious of which is accidents involving death or personal injury while driving without a license, a third-degree felony. He is in Northampton County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail.

During an interview with Bethlehem police, Diaz admitted that he was a recovering heroin addict who had taken methadone before he left the house that day, his arrest warrant says.

In the interview, police noted in the statement of probable cause that Diaz wavered between being on the verge of falling unconscious and being frantic, according to the affidavit. Police did have Diaz’s blood drawn though none of the charges relate to substance abuse. However, laboratory reports are pending, the warrant says.

The charges filed against Diaz were mostly related to driving under suspension or failing to have children in the car in proper safety restraint seating for which there are two counts.

Other charges filed were endangering the welfare of children, driving with a suspended license, careless driving, a second misdemeanor count of accidents involving death or personal injury while driving without a license and one count of careless driving unintentional death, which is a summary charge in Pennsylvania.