Truck driver charged with homicide in death of co-driver found on Pennsylvania roadway

Pennsylvania authorities have charged a truck driver after his co-driver’s body was found alongside a roadway in Londonderry Township over the weekend.

California-based truck driver Ilia Romanchenko, 25, has been charged with homicide, abuse of a corpse, possession of an instrument of crime with an intent to use it, and tampering with evidence, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

Around 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 23, the body of Oleksandr Hurianov was discovered under a blanket on the southbound shoulder of State Route 441 in Londonderry Township, Pennsylvania.

The body showed evidence of stab wounds and major head trauma.

Hurianov’s wife called police on Saturday night to report him missing.

Police said that Hurianov and Romanchenko worked for trucking company New Route Inc.

The trucking company reviewed truck’s GPS at police request. The GPS data showed that the truck had gone off route.

Fox 43 reports that the owner of New Route had contacted Romanchenko, who said that he’d fought with co-driver Hurianov.

Romanchenko told the owner where he had left the truck parked in Ridley Park, and the owner told police the location of the vehicle.

Investigators said that the truck’s GPS showed that it was parked on River Road in Londonderry Township near where the body was found for about five minutes. After that, GPS data showed that the truck continued to drive to Ridley Park in Delaware County.

Police located the truck in Ridley Park with blood inside the cab.

Surveillance video from a nearby convenience store reportedly showed Romanchenko throwing away a plastic bag. The video also showed injuries to Romanchenko’s hands, police said.

Officials said Romanchenko boarded a flight in Philadelphia at 1:11 a.m. on Sunday. He was taken into police custody when his flight landed in Miami, Florida, at 4:20 a.m.

Romanchenko is awaiting extradition back to Pennsylvania.