Five Pennsylvania families said goodbye to loved ones as they left for work on a recent Wednesday, never to see them again. They all lost their lives in a serious car accident during their commute home that afternoon. A police report indicated that the crash occurred on Route 222 near Allentown.
According to the police chief in Upper Macungie Township, the five colleagues were northbound when — for reasons not yet determined — their car crossed the center line. A southbound tractor-trailer could not avoid the collision that followed, and an explosion erupted on impact, causing a fierce fire. The accident report indicated that the passenger vehicle was torn in two, leaving the back half in the lanes of southbound traffic.
Two of the occupants were ejected onto the roadway. The driver and all four passengers were reportedly declared dead while the injuries to the truck driver were minor. The accident investigation is ongoing, and the county coroner said it could take several weeks to complete forensic testing.
Investigators will work on determining the reason that this Pennsylvania driver crossed into the lanes of southbound traffic. The surviving family members of the four deceased passengers who died in this serious car accident retain the right to pursue financial relief through the judicial system. Negligence will have to be established before the court will enter monetary judgments for wrongful death claims. Once financial liability is determined, documented claims for financial and non-financial losses will be considered. Claims typically include expenses related to end-of-life arrangements and loss of income along with emotional damages, such as loss of companionship.
Source: wsiltv.com, “Cops: 5 killed in fiery crash were co-workers commuting home”, March 3, 2016