The father of a Virginia man struck and killed by a car in Philadelphia in October says his mission to get justice for his son has been agonizing.
“I have to walk around my house; sometimes I see my wife crying,” Frank Corona said.
Jason Corona, 24, of Spotsylvania County, was at a bar with his sister and other family celebrating a cousin’s return from military deployment in October. A man inside the bar made unwanted advances toward his sister and he intervened, Philadelphia police said.
As he and his family waited for an Uber home outside, the man continued his unwanted advances until he jumped into an SUV and began driving away, police said.
His father, a homicide detective for 15 years, used footage shown in court to show how the driver swerved and struck his son with the SUV.
“He drove his vehicle toward my son and ran him over,” Corona said. “He dragged him. He didn’t stop. He murdered him.”
Police said the man drove off as Jason Corona lay dying in the bar’s parking lot.
“My wife was not far from where this happened, and when my daughter called her, she came, she came and held my son’s head,” Frank Corona said.
Philadelphia police arrested and charged 22-year-old Frederick Falcon with nine counts, including third-degree murder. But in February, a judge dropped eight of the nine charges, including the murder charge. The defense argued that Jason Corona entered the traffic lane and that Falcon could not avoid hitting him.
“Everything that’s been captured on video with eyewitness testimony, to be dismissed at the preliminary hearing, I mean, it’s mind-boggling,” said Frank Corona.
The Philadelphia District Attorney has re-filed the charges.
Falcon is free on bail while the Corona family is held captive by overwhelming pain.
“We haven’t even moved anything in his room,” Frank Corona said.
She said she goes into the room every day to talk to her son.
“I tell him about my day. I tell him I’m going to fight; I’m going to fight for you,” he said. “And I also tell him that he did not die in vain and that something positive will come. out of this.”
The Philadelphia district attorney said Falcon has a hearing on the charges filed, including the murder charge, scheduled for June 22.
Falcon’s attorney declined to comment.
