2 Firefighters Killed in Head-On Crash While Searching for Missing Woman

2 Firefighters Killed in Head-On Crash While Searching for Missing Woman

NEED TO KNOW

  • On Saturday, April 4, two hearth chiefs died in a roadway accident whereas looking for a lacking girl in Pennsylvania

  • The first responders had been in a UTV after they had been struck by a automobile operated by a driver who, police say, was allegedly below the affect, based on studies

  • The driver of the automobile is going through a number of costs, native shops reported

Two firefighters had been fatally struck whereas touring in a UTV whereas looking for a lacking girl in Pennsylvania. The 26-year-old driver of the opposite automobile was later arrested and charged, based on studies.

On the afternoon of Saturday, April 4, members of the Walnuttown Fire Company had been looking for a lacking girl in Richmond Township, Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel stated in a press release shared with PEOPLE.

As a part of the search, Fire Chief Jeffory L. Buck and Assistant Fire Chief Robert R. Shick, Jr. had been driving in a UTV north on Route 222 in Richmond Township when the automobile was concerned in a head-on collision with a Toyota Camry touring south, the coroner stated.

File image of a rescue truck from Walnuttown Fire and RescueCredit: Walnuttown Fire and Rescue/Facebook

File picture of a rescue truck from Walnuttown Fire and Rescue
Credit: Walnuttown Fire and Rescue/Facebook

Police confirmed to NBC affiliate WCAU that the firefighters had been driving on the shoulder of the street when witnesses noticed the opposite automobile swerve off the street and hit the UTV. By roughly 6 p.m. native time, officers had been dispatched to the scene on Route 222.

Buck and Shick had been transported to separate space hospitals the place they succumbed to their accidents, Stitzel stated.

Autopsies for each victims are scheduled for Monday, April 6, and an investigation into their deaths is ongoing.

In a separate assertion shared with PEOPLE, Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio additionally confirmed the deaths and supplied his condolences to Schick and Buck’s households.

“We mourn alongside them during this profound loss and honor the dedication, courage, and selfless service these two fallen heroes gave in the line of duty,” Buglio continued. “Their commitment to protecting and serving others will never be forgotten, and their sacrifice will be forever remembered.”

Following the deadly crash, the 2 folks in the Camry fled the scene and had been apprehended, officers confirmed to WCAU and impartial station WFMZ. The driver has since been recognized as Alexander Sepulveda‑Rivera, a 26-year-old man from the Bronx, New York, based on the shops.

A Fleetwood Police spokesperson claimed to WCAU that Sepulveda‑Rivera was driving below the affect and with out a license. He has since been charged with murder by automobile whereas driving below the affect, based on the shops. The driver can also be going through different costs, equivalent to reckless driving and involuntary manslaughter, based on WCAU.

The Fleetwood Police Department and Berks County District Attorney John Adams didn’t instantly reply to PEOPLE’s requests for extra data. It is unclear whether or not Sepulveda‑Rivera has secured authorized illustration and whether or not the opposite particular person in the Camry has been charged.

“You don’t really prepare yourself for an incident like this,” Walnuttown Fire and Rescue Lieutenant Ryan Tyson instructed WCAU. “Let alone two at the same time.”

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In a statement on social media, the Walnuttown Fire and Rescue supplied “our thoughts and prayers to the Shick and Buck family.”

The group added, “Rest easy, chiefs, we got it from here.”

Read the unique article on People

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