Overnight Accident Leaves Five Injured, Route 202 Closed for Several Hours
Rescue crews had to extricate trapped passengers from the car in Lower Gwynedd.
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Five were injured in a crash which happened early Sunday morning along Route 202 at Swedesford Road. Crews had to rescue three trapped victims who were pinned inside a car.
According to PennDOT alerts, the accident occurred around 1:17 a.m., closing down Route 202/Dekalb Pike. The road did not reopen until 4:54 a.m. FEMA's "Ready NotifyPA" alerts showed the road being closed from Hancock to Swedesford roads.
ABC6 reports that four were injured in the two-car, head-on collision. Three were removed from the vehicle after 20 minutes of work by local firefighters. CBS reported that North Penn Volunteer Fire Company led the rescue efforts.
One of the car's occupants had to be sent via helicopter to Abington Memorial Hospital in critical condition, said CBS. Two more were taken via ambulance to Lansdale Hospital, also listed in critical condition. Two others were taken to Lansdale with minor injuries, per CBS's report.
ABC6's article contradicts the CBS report, stating only four were injured. The ABC6 report lists one air-lifted to Abington, one taken by ambulance to Abington and two taken to Lansdale.
Attempts to reach local police to get the figures on those injured straight have not yet been answered.
W. Miller
12:40 pm on Sunday, February 17, 2013
That part of roadway was not designed right when road was widened. It should be two lanes from Welsh Rd. to Sumneytown Pike. Not two lanes merging into one ,
Eric Finn
12:29 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
Agreed. There's no reason to go down to one lane there. I have to turn right onto Swedesford from 202 south and when I do it slows down all traffic because the intersection is right at the merge point. Very poor planning and design there.
andthatsthetruth
5:11 pm on Monday, February 18, 2013
I know where you are speaking about and it is tricky there & on the other side of Sumneytown Pk. It does almost the same there about 1/2 way up the freeway.
I haven't been out to Doylestown on the new road, does it do it there also?
It must have been something placed in the tech books in design engineering school & theoretically stayed there for years because the blue route does the same thing in a few areas. One off hand comes to mind is before RT 1 Springfield exit - That road was laid & planned years ago. Maybe at the same time this idea started?
Mark Methlie
1:42 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Isn't phase 2 to widen 202 between Hancock and Meetinghouse?
Louise Reimel
9:10 pm on Tuesday, February 19, 2013
That was always a tricky area. Those cars coming into or out of Swedesford are lucky if they can pull in or out of there depending on the time of day. Too many people are in the wrong lanes or not stopping at the red lights at the new bypass entrance. The curve is too tight also. Very awkward.