HAVERFORD TWP., PA — A 57-year-old pickup truck driver died and eight other people were injured Saturday after a chaotic chain-reaction crash tore through Haverford Township and damaged 16 vehicles, according to police.
Investigators said the driver, John Ryan, was operating on a license that had been revoked for medical reasons. Police believe he may have suffered a medical emergency before the crash began.
The collision started near Darby Road and West Chester Pike and stretched about 1.5 miles before ending near West Chester Pike and Eagle Road around 12:15 p.m.
Police say the pickup moved erratically before the crash ended in a U-Haul collision
Haverford Township Police Chief John Viola said Ryan’s truck was moving at a high rate of speed and driving erratically as it struck multiple vehicles along the route. The final moments were caught on surveillance video.
The footage shows the pickup traveling down the road, hitting stopped vehicles, flipping onto its side and then crashing into a U-Haul truck. Police said the sequence left a wide path of damaged vehicles behind it.
Viola said the scale of the wreck stood out even to experienced responders because of how many vehicles were involved and how quickly the damage spread across the roadway.
Witnesses describe bang after bang as vehicles were hit and pushed around
People who saw the crash described a frightening scene as the pickup moved through traffic. One witness, Yusuf Peters of Upper Darby, said the incident was devastating to watch unfold.
Another witness, Rob Rothacker of Bethlehem, said he heard repeated impacts and saw cars moving in different directions as the wreck unfolded in front of him. A third witness described the sounds of glass breaking and metal crushing.
Those accounts matched the picture police gave of a fast-moving and disorderly crash that left bystanders trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Eight injured victims were taken to hospitals and are expected to recover
Authorities said eight people were taken to hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. Viola said the injured victims are expected to recover.
One person involved in the crash said they felt lucky to walk away from the collision. That reaction echoed the relief expressed by several people whose cars were caught in the wreck.
Police did not immediately release a breakdown of how each person was hurt, but they said the injuries were not considered life-threatening.
Drivers say their cars can be replaced, but the victim cannot
Some of the people whose vehicles were damaged said they were focused less on the property loss and more on the human toll. One witness said the cars can be fixed or replaced, but the man who died cannot.
That sentiment ran through the aftermath as people took stock of the wreckage along West Chester Pike. The scale of damage was clear enough that police said 16 vehicles were affected.
For many who were near the scene, the crash became a reminder of how quickly an ordinary afternoon can turn into an emergency that leaves lasting consequences.
Crash stretched across a busy Delaware County corridor near midday
The collision happened in Delaware County on a busy stretch of West Chester Pike, one of the main routes through Haverford Township. Police said the first impacts began near Darby Road and ended roughly 1.5 miles away.
The timing, about 12:15 p.m., meant traffic and bystanders were already present when the pickup began moving erratically. That helped make the aftermath especially chaotic, according to witnesses and police.
Viola described the scene as breathtaking, saying the number of injured people and heavily damaged vehicles forced responders to take in the full scope before they could start clearing the roadway.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
