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<p>NANTICOKE &#8212; After initially denying it, a hit-and-run suspect admitted he fled the scene after striking and seriously injuring a 78-year-old man last month, police say.</p><p>John Charles Gajewski, 64, of Hill Street, Nanticoke, surrendered Tuesday on charges he drove away after he struck Harold Rinehimer in the 100 block of South Market Street on Jan. 20.</p><p>Police said surveillance cameras showed Rinehimer being thrown into the air and Gajewski swerving his vehicle into on-coming traffic, indicating he was aware he struck a pedestrian.</p><p>Gajewski initially denied he was involved but later admitted he struck Rinehimer, court records say.</p><p>Police said Rinehimer suffered head and facial injuries, and serious injuries to his legs, spine and ribs.</p><p>According to a criminal complaint:</p><p>Rinehimer was recorded on video walking on South Market when he was struck from behind by the passenger side of a vehicle at about 10:24 p.m. Rinehimer was struck in the area of 187 S. Market St. and became airborne, landing in the roadway in front of 158 S. Market St.</p><p>Video recorded the driver speeding away in a red or burgundy Chevrolet Malibu.</p><p>Several days later, police located a burgundy 2016 Malibu with passenger-side damage parked near Gajewski&#8217;s residence.</p><p>Gajewski claimed his vehicle was struck by another vehicle weeks earlier in the parking lot of Schiel&#8217;s Market in Wilkes-Barre. He told police he did not file a report with Wilkes-Barre police nor did he file a claim with his insurance carrier.</p><p>Gajewski reported he was at Larry&#8217;s Pizza from 3 p.m. to about 11 p.m. on the day in question, consuming eight to 10 cans of beer during his stay.</p><p>Gajewski claimed after he left Larry&#8217;s, he drove on South Market Street on his way home.</p><p>Police noted South Market was closed due to the hit-and-run and surveillance cameras did not record his vehicle traveling on the street after 11 p.m.</p><p>A day after Gajewski denied he was involved, he admitted he struck Rinehimer and fled the scene because he panicked.</p><p>Police found Rinehimer&#8217;s bodily fluids on Gajewski&#8217;s vehicle.</p><p>Gajewski was arraigned by District Judge Donald Whittaker in Nanticoke on charges of accidents involving death or personal injury, failure to stop and give aid, failure to notify police of an accident or death, false information and careless driving. He was released on $100,000 unsecured bail.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">John Charles Gajewski, 64, arrives in district court in Nanticoke on Tuesday. He is charged in a January hit-and-run in Nanticoke that seriously injured a 78-year-old man. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/web1_John-Charles-Gajewski-02192019-Sean-McKeag-pic-1.jpeg</photo0><caption0>John Charles Gajewski, 64, arrives in district court in Nanticoke on Tuesday. He is charged in a January hit-and-run in Nanticoke that seriously injured a 78-year-old man. </caption0><photoCredit0>Sean McKeag | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Ed Lewis</p><p>elewis@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div>

Nanticoke man surrenders on hit-run charges