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Members of a Lancaster County-based road crew escaped injury Monday after an object tossed from a moving car exploded near where they were working in Lower Nazareth Township, according to police.
Employees of Brubacher Excavating, Bowmansville, were working at Routes 248 and 33 when Mark G. Hewitt, 18, allegedly tossed the object from the car about 11 p.m., according to Colonial Regional Police Detective Gary Hammer.
Hammer described the object as a toilet-bowl cleaner bomb, and he said it exploded about 30 to 40 feet from the crew.
Hammer said members of the road crew reported the incident and provided a description of the vehicle to police at about 11:03 p.m.
Shortly before midnight, officers spotted the vehicle, a 2004 silver Dodge Neon, at a Giant supermarket about a half-mile from where the incident happened.
Zachary E. Bajan, 18, of 940 Park Estates Road, Bushkill Township, had been driving the car while Hewitt, of 223 S. Main St., Nazareth, occupied the front passenger seat, Hammer said.
Hammer said both individuals said they didn't have anything to do with the incident.
"At first they denied it," Hammer said. "But eventually they admitted it."
Police said Hewitt told them the liquid in the bottle was toilet bowl cleaner.Hammer said the chemical could have injured workers.
"It's essentially like pouring toilet bowl cleaner on your skin," Hammer said. "It could have caused skin burns and eye injuries."
Hammer said the substance is being tested at a state police crime laboratory.
Police charged Hewitt, a 2008 graduate of Nazareth Area High School, with possessing prohibitive weapons, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct. His bail was reduced Wednesday from $50,000 to $5,000. He was able to post it and was released from Northampton County Prison.
Bajan will be cited via summons with conspiracy to commit, recklessly endangering another person and disorderly conduct, police said.
Hewitt's preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 8 in Bethlehem Township.
Lower Nazareth Township is about 80 miles northeast of Lancaster city in Northampton County.
E-mail: mpennino@lnpnews.com
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