A Julian man accused in a hit-and-run accident that claimed the life of a 68-year-old pedestrian walking home from work will face trial today in Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte.

Jack Chencharik, 39, of 1300 Steele Hollow Road, is charged with accidents involving death -- a third degree felony -- and other traffic summary violations, in connection with a Jan. 30 incident that killed Leon Shee Sin, according to court documents.

The charge of accidents involving death carries a mandatory minimum penalty of one-year in prison and a maximum of seven years.

Sin was walking home from his job at Wegmans, 345 Lowes Blvd., at about 10 p.m., when a car hit him in front of KFC, 2020 N. Atherton St.

The impact knocked Sin onto the sidewalk where he lay for 20 minutes before another pedestrian called the Patton Township Police Department. He was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center and pronounced dead on arrival from multiple blunt-force traumas caused by a motor vehicle accident, according to court documents. It was ruled an accidental death.

Police reviewed video surveillance from local businesses to determine the make and model of the vehicle that struck Sin. Paint samples from his body and debris at the scene confirmed that a metallic blue Ford F-150 pickup made between 1981 and 86 had caused the accident, according to court documents.

Chencharik was arrested March 10, when he appeared at the Patton Township police station because his boss had indicated that his vehicle was similar to the one involved in the accident.

When police examined Chencharik's pickup truck and noticed recent repairs to the passenger front fender, he was confronted and said the repairs had been done the previous September, according to police. Police said that after he was arrested, Chencharik said he hit Sin and then left the scene, according to court documents.

Chencharik is expected to take the stand during the daylong trial, scheduled for 8:30 a.m., because "he has nothing to hide," Attorney Brian Manchester said.

Manchester said he believes the jury will find Chencharik not guilty because Chencharik said he never realized he hit anyone.

"You only have to stop if you know you hit a human being," he said.

Patton Township Police Det. Rich Saupp, the investigating officer, said Chencharik had to have known he hit something -- even if he thought it was a deer.

"From the pieces found at the scene -- there was chrome, headlight parts, pieces of the parking lights -- he had to strike something pretty good," he said.

Manchester submitted a motion to suppress Chencharik's statement to the police, because he said Chencharik "wasn't properly Mirandized," referring to the rights police must explain before questioning people accused of crimes.

Judge Charles Brown denied the motion because he said Chencharik was arrested after he gave his statement.

Assistant District Attorney Lance Marshall refused to comment before the trial.