Authorities say the 2025 crash killed a Bristol motorcyclist and injured another rider.
ALLENTOWN, PA— A woman accused of driving drunk the wrong way on the Pennsylvania Turnpike and killing a motorcyclist in Lehigh County was arrested Wednesday in Northeast Philadelphia, more than a year after the crash, authorities said.
Onanyeli Rosario-Mesa, of Allentown, is charged in the March 30, 2025, crash that killed 50-year-old John Joseph Sweeney Jr., of Bristol. The case moved forward after prosecutors issued an arrest warrant April 7 and investigators said Rosario-Mesa did not surrender. She was later taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force.
The crash happened shortly after 9 a.m. on Interstate 476, the Pennsylvania Turnpike Northeast Extension, in Washington Township, Lehigh County. Investigators said Rosario-Mesa was driving a Honda HRV south in the northbound lanes when the vehicle struck motorcycles traveling in a group. Sweeney, who was riding a 2016 Harley-Davidson, was pronounced dead at the scene. A second rider, a 24-year-old Bristol man, was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest. One driver who saw the vehicle before the crash told Action News, “She blew by me,” and said the car appeared to be moving far faster than traffic around it.
Authorities said video and witness accounts showed the Honda moving the wrong way in the northbound lanes as other drivers pulled aside to avoid being hit. The vehicle then struck two motorcycles in a group of six, according to accounts from police and court records. The Lehigh County coroner ruled Sweeney’s death accidental and said he died from blunt force injuries. Investigators also said Rosario-Mesa suffered minor injuries at the crash scene. Police have not said that all details of the route she took onto the highway are known. The exact point where the wrong-way driving began has not been publicly released.
Police said the investigation included roadway evidence, crash reconstruction, videos and digital evidence. Authorities said Rosario-Mesa’s blood alcohol level after the crash was above the legal limit. Prosecutors filed charges including homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, DUI and traffic offenses. Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said investigators took time to complete the case file because they wanted a full picture of what happened, including video, reconstruction evidence and cellphone records.
The arrest came after investigators received an anonymous tip Tuesday evening that Rosario-Mesa was hiding with her boyfriend in Philadelphia, authorities said. Members of the U.S. Marshals Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force went to an apartment in the 2700 block of Stanwood Street in Northeast Philadelphia around 11 a.m. Wednesday and arrested her without incident. Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said no arrest could undo the death, but he said the arrest was “progress in delivering justice for the Sweeney family.” Rosario-Mesa was then turned over to Pennsylvania State Police Troop T at the Pocono barracks for processing.
Sweeney’s death reached beyond Lehigh County because he lived in Bristol and was riding with others from Bucks County when the crash happened. Reports from the case said one of his adult sons was among the riders in the group. Family remembrances described Sweeney as a father of two who enjoyed motorcycles, pool, time with family and his dog. The crash also drew attention because it happened in daylight on a major toll highway where wrong-way traffic can leave drivers and riders with little time to react.
Rosario-Mesa remained in custody at Lehigh County Jail with bail set at $500,000. Her preliminary hearing is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. May 12. Defense attorney David Ritter said Rosario-Mesa understands the seriousness of the charges and that a hearing date has been set. “I look forward to defending her rights as the case proceeds through the criminal justice system,” Ritter said in a statement. The charges are accusations, and Rosario-Mesa is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
The next step in the case is the preliminary hearing, where a judge will decide whether prosecutors have enough evidence for the charges to move forward. As of Thursday, Rosario-Mesa remained jailed and the criminal case was pending in Lehigh County.
Author note: Last updated May 7, 2026.