Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Victim Identified in Fatal Crash in Wayne Township Monday Afternoon

A Jonestown man died in a crash on Route 183 Monday afternoon.

According to the Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven, on Monday, around 2:30pm, emergency personnel responded to the report of a crash with entrapment on SR 183, just north of Schuylkill Mountain Road, Wayne Township.

Upon arrival on scene, it was determined that the crash was a serious head-on crash with entrapment and with one vehicle fully engulfed in flames.

The on-scene investigation revealed that the crash occurred as a vehicle driven by Debra Young, 61, of Pottsville was traveling north on SR 183 failed to negotiate a right curve in the roadway. 

At that point, Young entered the southbound lane and struck a vehicle driven by Stephen Batdorf, 58, of Jonestown, head on, causing his vehicle to catch fire. 

The sole occupants of both vehicles were the drivers and both were trapped in their vehicles after impact.  

Efforts to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers by responding units failed as the fire was already fully involved. 

Fire department units arrived on scene shortly thereafter and extinguished the fire. 

Young was extricated from her vehicle and she was airlifted to the Reading Medical Center with non-life threating injuries. 

Batdorf was pronounced dead at the scene by the Schuylkill County Coroner’s Office.  

State Police are still investigating the crash.