Joyride Death Of Plymouth Girl: Man Charged With Homicide By Vehicle

PLYMOUTH TOWNSHIP, PA — A Plymouth Meeting man faces numerous charges in the death of a 7-year-old girl after she fell out of the bed of a pickup truck he was driving, authorities announced Tuesday afternoon.

Andres Marin, 48, faces counts of involuntary manslaughter and homicide by vehicle in the incident, in which he took several neighborhood children for a ride before the fatal incident.

It occurred on Tuesday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m.

The young girl and four other children were riding their bikes and scooters around the neighborhood when they asked Marin for a ride in the back of his truck, a 1996 Subaru Sambar, police said. Marin had given them a ride in the "unique looking" truck several times before, the District Attorney's Office said.

The girl fell over the side wall of the bed of the truck, which is just under a foot high, and struck her head on the pavement, police said. The truck then ran her over, killing her.

Marin immediately picked up the girl and drove her to her parents' house, then drove the girl and her father to Einstein Montgomery County Hospital. Less than an hour after the ride began, at 8:43 p.m., she was decalred dead.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the family of this little girl, who died due to the defendant’s complete disregard of the danger in allowing young children to ride in the open bed of a pick-up truck, especially a truck with such low sidewalls, " DA Kevin Steele said in a statement. "Four other children and their families are also greatly impacted by their friend’s death, and we feel for them as well. This activity by the defendant was illegal, it was dangerous, and he should have known that it was just a matter of time until one of these ‘fun’ rides ended tragically.”

Marin turned himself in on Tuesday and bail was set at $50,000. A preliminary hearing is set for Sept. 19.