Posted on Wed, Nov. 11, 2009
A teenager in a speeding SUV ran a red light and slammed into a car yesterday morning in Middletown Township, Delaware County, ripping off the smaller vehicle's front end and killing its driver, state police said. The victim was identified as Joseph Sherlock, 33, of Upper Providence, Delaware County.
The drivers of two other cars caught in the pileup and a passenger also were hurt, but their injuries were not life-threatening, police said.
State police said in a news release that a Parkside Borough police officer saw a red Ford Explorer, whose driver was later identified as Jonathan Trueheart, 18, of Ambler, speeding through a school zone on Route 352 about 7:40 a.m. Other officers also saw the Explorer speeding on Route 322 but lost sight of it as they approached Dutton Mill Road.
At Knowlton Road, the Explorer ran a red light and slammed into a black Honda in the intersection, police said. The Honda's front end was severed on impact and Sherlock, trapped inside, was pronounced dead at the scene. Trueheart was taken into custody and taken to Crozer-Chester Medical Center for observation. Charges were pending, state police said. - Inquirer staff