Couple Killed In Fiery Bedminster Crash Identified

BEDMINSTER, PA — Two people killed in a fiery crash in Bedminster Township in November have been identified.

The Bucks County Coroner's Office has identified the victims of the crash as 75-year-old Gerald Lapat and his wife, 79-year-old Deborah Yacovella of Upper Black Eddy in Bridgeton Township. Both died as a result of multiple injuries sustained in the accident.

The fatal crash happened on Nov. 15 at 11:30 a.m. on Route 611 in Bedminster Township when Lapat's Tesla struck an unoccupied parked car and then a building before catching fire.

Due to the severity of the burns sustained in the resulting fire, the coroner's office used DNA testing and forensic dental examination to identify the victims.

In a CrimeWatch posting, Bedminster's Interim Chief of Police, Nick Virnelson, extended the department's "deepest sympathies to the family and loved ones of the individuals involved in this heartbreaking incident."

Friends and family will remember the couple during a memorial luncheon on Friday, Dec. 6 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Joseph Ambler Inn at 1005 Horsham Road, North Wales.

Deborah Yacovella, a graduate of Central Bucks High School West, worked at Merck & Co. for 17 years before leaving the job in 2014. Her husband attended Northeast High School and had studied illustration at the University of the Arts. He was a self-employed artist.

Both supported environmental causes and community-based organizations.

Memorial donations may be made to the Bucks County SPCA or to an animal shelter.