Already facing death-threat charges, South Whitehall man is arrested in hit-run crash

Morning Call (Allentown, PA)

May 12--SOUTH WHITEHALL TOWNSHIP -- A South Whitehall Township man recently accused of threatening to kill an Allentown convenience store clerk has been charged with hit-and-run in a Monday night traffic accident.

Ahmad Shahid Rana, 28, of Trexler Boulevard, knocked the driver's side mirror off a vehicle he passed at 10:25 p.m. in the 700 block of Cedar Crest Boulevard, South Whitehall, and he failed to stop, police said.

Dylan Smith, owner of the damaged vehicle, told police the southbound hit-and-run driver "smirked" as he drove by with his headlights off, according to the police arrest affidavit.

Smith gave police the license plate number of the car that hit his vehicle, and police traced it to Rana, whom Smith later identified in a photo lineup, the affidavit says.

Rana was arraigned Wednesday night on charges of failing to remain at the accident scene, failing to give his insurance information or offer aid, careless driving, and driving at night without headlights on.

District Judge David M. Howells Jr. sent him to Lehigh County Jail under $10,000 bail.

Rana had been free on $100,000 bail he posted April 20 after Allentown police charged him with terroristic threats, illegally carrying a handgun and simple assault.

The new charges could result in revocation of the $100,000 bail, authorities said.

Allentown police said Rana at 5:10 p.m. April 19 pulled a silver pistol from his pants and threatened to kill a clerk in a gas station mini-mart in the 1400 block of Tilghman Street.

Rana became aggressive after the clerk did not allow him to buy cigarettes there, police said. Rana left the store, but returned and repeated the death threat without the gun, police said.

Police did not explain why the clerk would not sell Rana the cigarettes.

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