ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Ramon Ramirez was just starting his day, filling up his A. Duie Pyle truck with gas at the Wawa in Upper Macungie Township. His next stop would have likely been to one of the company’s truck terminals to pick up a trailer.
But he never made it there.
Ramirez, a truck driver for logistics provider A. Duie Pyle for the last 18 months, was fatally shot by a man driving a white Toyota Corolla who pulled into the Wawa lot on Schantz Road just before 5 a.m.
“He had no direct involvement in the incident other than he was the victim of a senseless shooting,” said Peter Dannecker, vice president of risk at A. Duie Pyle.
Dannecker, who has spoken with police about the incident, said Ramirez was 31 years old and lived in the Lehigh Valley. He was married and had three kids, Dannecker said.
“You have a working dad who lost his life,” he said.
That area in Upper Macungie is a regular part of Ramirez’s run, Dannecker said. Ramirez was based out of the company’s terminal in Hanover Township, Lehigh County, and was likely headed there next, he said.
“He was well-liked and respected,” Dannecker said. “He was a very likeable guy.”
Dannecker, speaking from Pyle headquarters in West Chester, Chester County, said the privately run, family-owned business that has been around for 97 years is now grieving the loss. He said the company’s concern now is taking care of Ramirez’s family and helping its employees, who are stunned by what unfolded at the Wawa on Wednesday morning.
“To just lose somebody senselessly, it puts everybody in a little bit of shock,” Dannecker said.
