JENKINS TOWNSHIP – The man suspected of driving a pickup truck involved in a deadly hit-and-run crash on Mother’s Day surrendered to police on Friday afternoon.
Court documents said John Kuniskas, 36, Jenkins Township was arraigned on charges of homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter and a texting while driving offense, at a district magistrate’s office in West Pittston.
Kuniskas was released after he and his family were able to post $50,000 bail.
Authorities said Jean Darsky, 65, Jenkins Township was killed when she was hit by a truck, near her home along Westminster Road on May 12.
Court documents show that Kuniskas sent a Facebook message from his cell phone to a friend, about being a bar in Plains Township shortly before the time of the crash.
During a 20 minute span at the time of the deadly crash, state prosecutors accuse Kuniskas of making 31 calls and text messages from his cell phone.
Investigators said one witness reported that he saw Kuniskas trying to use a hammer to take the dents out of his pickup truck, shortly after Mother’s Day.
Mark Darsky told Newswatch 16 that he is relieved that charges were finally filed against the driver suspected of hitting and killing his mother, but that there are still plenty of questions that have not been answered.
“It’s completely devastating. Everything turned upside down from that point on,” said Darsky. “Karma is what it is. We all know about it. We have someone who is murdered with a church dress on and a bible in her hand. It doesn’t get any deeper than that.”
Attorneys for the Darsky family said they have been able to freeze Kuniskas’ assets, and they are moving forward with their own case in civil court.
The Luzerne County District Attorney’s office previously said that the case was sent to the Attorney General’s office because of a conflict of interest.