Members of a Chester County community are mourning the death of a town leader who died after he was struck by a pickup truck that crashed into the front of a ShopRite supermarket.
Witnesses say a woman in her 20's reversed her truck and slammed into the entrance of the ShopRite store along the 1100 block of West Chester Pike in West Chester, Pa. around 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The impact of the crash brought down part of a stone wall to the left of the entrance doors.
Dr. Robert White, a West Goshen Township Supervisor and Navy veteran, was struck by the truck as he was standing on the sidewalk. The impact pushed him into the ShopRite.
"We saw that he was bleeding out of the back of his head and they were giving him CPR," said Allison Liesch, a witness.
White, 77, was rushed to Chester County Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, said officials.
"When we saw that it was him our heart sunk a little," said Josh Jacquette, White's neighbor. "He was very friendly. He always would do anything to help you out."
White served as the township supervisor for 22 years. For 12 years before that, he was a member of the West Goshen planning commission. He was also a dentist who ran a practice with his son.
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"He cared about the community," Jacquette said. "He cared about his neighbors. He cared about the township and trying to do right by them."
Township officials canceled their monthly meeting in order to grieve. White leaves behind a wife and two adult sons.
While the woman behind the wheel was questioned by police, investigators believe the entire ordeal was just a tragic accident. No charges have been filed.
