A Reading man who was accused of running from the scene of a fatal car crash in northwestern Berks County and eluding a search by ground and air in 2001 has been captured after nearly 22 years as a fugitive.

Pedro Caldron Ortiz, 45, was captured over the weekend by Pennsylvania State Police from the Skippack, Montgomery County, station, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams said Monday.

Details of the arrest weren’t immediately available.

Caldron Ortiz was declared a fugitive by Tulpehocken Township police in September 2002, one year after the Sept. 8, 2001, fatal crash, court records show.

For all intents and purposes, Adams said, Caldron Ortiz had fallen off the radar of prosecutors after so many years.

In December, however, they got a hit in a law enforcement database following a hit-and-run crash in Amity Township.

Caldron Ortiz wasn’t arrested then because he fled the nonfatal crash as he had 22 years earlier after the Route 419 crash that fatally injured a 15-year-old boy and seriously injured two other passengers, officials said.

When Amity police entered his name in the system, however, they learned he had a warrant from 2001 on vehicular homicide and related charges, Adams said.

Caldron Ortiz of the 900 block of Perry Street was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $100,000 bail to await a hearing. He was arraigned Saturday before District Judge Michael D. Kauffman in Reading Central Court.

Caldron Ortiz is charged with criminal homicide, involuntary manslaughter, homicide by vehicle and hit-and-run.

Adams said prosecutors are scrambling to resurrect the 2001 homicide case against Caldron Ortiz.

The arresting officer, Tulpehocken Police Chief Kris Kerschner, retired a few years ago.

According to Kerschner’s probable cause affidavit:

A sedan crashed into a utility pole, shearing it along Route 419 southbound near Witman Road about 3:15 p.m.

Two occupants were thrown from the car and were lying on the road about 20 feet north and south of the car.

One of them, Incensio Lara Chavez, 15, was dead. Perfector Lara Chavez was being attended to by fire and emergency medical personnel and appeared to be seriously injured.

A third male, Miguel Rosales Palomares, was seriously injured and was outside the rear passenger door being held by another male who had been a passenger but didn’t appear to be seriously injured.

A fire chief told Kerschner that he was told one of the occupants of the car had fled and was last seen running west of Route 419 toward Witman Road.

Kerschner got into his patrol car and checked the area to no avail. He requested assistance from a state police helicopter unit and the Middle Creek Search & Rescue team, whose members have dogs trained in searches, but the suspect couldn’t be found.

The occupant who did not appear to be seriously injured told police that Caldron Ortiz was the driver. The occupant said Caldron Ortiz was driving south at a high speed and in a reckless manner when he lost control of the car, which left the road and struck the pole.