2 Killed After Being Hit While Pushing Car on Route 309: Cops

Traffic snarled for hours after deadly wreck

Two people were killed after being hit while trying to push a disabled car off the northbound lanes of Route 309 Monday afternoon.

The two-vehicle crash shut down Route 309 northbound for hours near the Fort Washington. It happened around 1:20 p.m. near the Camp Hill Road overpass just south of the exit for the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

A police source originally told NBC10 that two people were outside a disabled sedan when they were struck from behind by an SUV. State police later confirmed to NBC10 that a 54-year-old woman and 20-year-old man were killed as they tried to push the disabled Lincoln Town Car off to the shoulder.

"There was a silver Lincoln Town Car that experienced some sort of failure and became disabled in the center travel lane," said state police Cpl. David Barr. "It was struck in the rear by a red Lexus SUV and as a result of the collision there were two confirmed fatalities."

Dispatchers say that the woman driving the Lexus SUV was taken to Abington Memorial Hospital. Her injuries weren't disclosed.

Chopper 10 arrived on the scene about 20 minutes after the wreck. Around the same time county dispatchers told NBC10 that they expected the road to be closed for at least a few hours as the police investigated and crews cleaned up the wreckage.

The highway was closed as northbound traffic was being diverted at the Paper Mill Road exit. Authorities announced shortly before 6:30 p.m. however that northbound lanes at Paper Mill are now open. NBC10 remains on the scene working on finding out more about the victims.

State police were investigating what may have caused the Town Car to breakdown.


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