rauch side.JPG

Peter Rauch arrives at Syracuse City Court on Friday, March 24, 2017 to be arraigned on the charge of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. He's accused of hitting an 18 year old walking on North Salina Street in the early morning of Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

(Douglass Dowty | ddowty@syracuse.com)

Syracuse, NY -- A fired investigator in the Onondaga County District Attorney's Office was arraigned this morning on a more serious felony charge after the pedestrian in a hit-and-run crash Tuesday died.

Peter Rauch, 37, of Syracuse, was freed on $10,000 bail after his first arraignment Wednesday morning. But that was before the victim, Seth Collier, 18, died.

Rauch was sent back to jail on $50,000 cash or $100,000 bond after today's arraignment by City Court Judge Ross Andrews.

Collier was on life support at Upstate University Hospital long enough for friends and family to say goodbye and to donate his organs. He was pronounced dead Thursday afternoon.

Now, Rauch faces an enhanced charge of leaving the scene of a fatal car crash. That bumps the crime from a Class E to a Class D felony.

Seth Collier, 18, of Syracuse died Thursday. He was hit by a car on Syracuse North Side early Tuesday, March 21, 2017.

The difference? Class E felonies carry a maximum of 1 1/3 to four years in prison while Class D felonies carry a possible maximum of 2 1/3 to seven years in prison. But the minimum sentences in either case do not require any jail or prison.

Rauch is accused of being the driver of a county-owned, 2010 Chevrolet Impala that struck Collier at 1:30 a.m. Tuesday at the corner of North Salina and Bear Streets on the city's North Side.

He is then accused of fleeing the scene on foot. The vehicle itself sustained heavy damage, including a shattered windshield, a source told Syracuse.com. It was found by police parked in a lot at the nearby Pastime Athletic Club.

Rauch was arrested hours later at his mother's house in Liverpool. He was sent to jail overnight before posting bail after his first arraignment Wednesday.

Prosecutors have indicated that they do not have evidence of drunken driving, but that the investigation is continuing.

Crimes such as vehicular manslaughter only come into play if it can be proven that Rauch was under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Traditional homicide charges require proving the accused man intended to kill Collier.

As part of his release earlier, Rauch had to give up his passport.

He came back to court today in a suit and tie for his arraignment on the enhanced hit-and-run charge.

Andrews had agreed to Rauch's Wednesday bail of $10,000 cash or $20,000 bond. But today, the judge agreed that the victim's death constituted a change of circumstance that allowed him to revisit bail.

Oswego County District Attorney Gregory Oakes, who was named special prosecutor, suggested the higher bail amount.

Defense lawyer Emil Rossi said nothing really had changed since Tuesday in regards to Rauch's circumstance. He argued the original bail was sufficient.

But Andrews ordered Rauch taken back into custody on the higher bail. That means Rauch will have to come up with $40,000 more in cash bail, or convince a bail bondsman to put up $100,000 (typically costs $10,000 in cash).

When asked if his client would make the new bail, Rossi said: "I'll let you know in a few hours."