One person died and eight others were hospitalized Saturday afternoon after a pickup truck driver experiencing a medical emergency traveled erratically along West Chester Pike in Haverford Township, Pennsylvania. The multi-vehicle crash involved 14 cars and spanned roughly two miles, shutting down local roadways for hours.
John Ryan Identified as Driver in 14-Car Havertown Crash
Authorities identified the driver of the pickup truck as 57-year-old John Ryan of Havertown, according to CBS News. Investigators believe he suffered a medical emergency just before the crash unfolded shortly after 12:15 p.m. on Saturday.
The incident began near Darby Road and West Chester Pike, where witnesses observed the pickup truck moving erratically at a high rate of speed. Over a stretch of roughly 1.5 to two miles along Route 3, the vehicle sideswiped multiple cars in the westbound lanes before reaching the intersection at North Eagle Road.
Eight Injured and Fourteen Vehicles Damaged Along West Chester Pike
Emergency crews transported eight people to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, and Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola stated that those hospitalized are expected to recover. In total, 14 vehicles sustained heavy damage during the two-mile chain of collisions. Fire department crews responded to the scene for an overturned vehicle rescue, and police temporarily closed West Chester Pike while investigation and cleanup crews worked in the area.
The chaotic scene unfolded during Haverford Township Day, an annual community festival that had already brought heavy traffic congestion and numerous police officers to the neighborhood. Many police officers were already in the area for the festival when they received the emergency call. Several witnesses near the intersection recounted the sudden violence of the impact.
“It’s a very sad thing that happened,”
Yusuf Peters of Upper Darby, via 6ABC
Other motorists caught in the wreckage described a rapid succession of impacts as the truck moved through traffic. Rob Rothacker of Bethlehem noted hearing a rapid series of bangs and watching cars scatter in his rearview mirror, later adding that cars can be replaced while the lives lost and affected cannot. Al Gunaydin, owner of the nearby Havertown Cafe, watched the vehicle go airborne across the street before it crashed.
“It was pretty shocking. I just couldn’t get anywhere closer to it. There was blood all over, and I tried to tell the kids not to get closer.”
Al Gunaydin, owner of Havertown Cafe, via Audacy
Crissy McCallum, who was inside a local cafe at the time, reported hearing a loud commotion and running outside to witness a truck go airborne and rush to help someone who was hurt. Officials confirmed that no pedestrians were injured during the incident, despite the heavy festival crowds gathered nearby.
Haverford Police Chief John Viola Outlines Scale of Emergency Response
Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola described the aftermath of the crash as overwhelming given the sheer volume of wrecked metal scattered across the roadway.
“I would say breathtaking. It kinda takes you back a bit that you have to take the whole scene in and realize how many people were actually hurt here and the amount of cars that were heavily damaged,”
Chief John Viola, Haverford Township Police, via 6ABC
Investigators cleared the roadway and reopened all lanes of West Chester Pike by late Saturday afternoon. Police continue to review surveillance footage and examine the sequence of events leading up to the fatal collision.
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