In a pair of horrifying scenes on Saturday that made up the tragedy of a recent deadly fire in eastern Pennsylvania, a man rammed his car into a fundraising event for families affected by the fire. fire, which left one person dead and 17 injured, then drove away and fatally beat a woman before police arrested him, authorities said.
Joseph H. Stender III, a spokesman for the Geisinger Medical Center where many of the victims were taken, said four of those injured in the crash were in Berwick, a town about 45 miles from Scranton. southwest, was in critical condition late Saturday. The woman was found dead in the vicinity of Nescopeck, where a deadly fire on August 5 ripped through a two-story home and killed 10 people.
The fundraiser aims to benefit the victims and their families house fire, which included Harold Baker, a volunteer firefighter who responded to the fires and ultimately lost his 22-year-old daughter and 19-year-old son, as well as six other family members, in the fire. Among those killed in the Nescopeck fire were three children, ages 5, 6 and 7, Pennsylvania State Police said. The oldest victim was 79 years old.
In a cruel twist, just eight days after the fire, Mr. Baker responded arrived at the scene Saturday in Nescopeck, where the woman was killed. He said a daughter-in-law and several other relatives were injured, and an aunt of his daughter-in-law was killed in a fundraising car crash. “I still haven’t dealt with the fire and now I have to deal with it,” he said.
In a statement late Saturday, Pennsylvania State Police called the crime scenes “very active.” The statement said the suspect was arrested by local police at the scene of the fatal beating, and is being held by state police pending charges. His name has not been released.
Saturday night’s crash added another wave of grief for a small community devastated by the August 5 fire that authorities described as “violent” and “violent”. ” The cause of the fire has not yet been released. At a news conference late Saturday, Trooper Anthony Petroski said the suspect in Saturday’s death is not currently a suspect in the fire, according to The Times-Leader of Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
Area residents have struggled to process what happened in just over a week. Robin Massina, a Berwick resident who is the mayor of Nescopeck’s daughter, said in an interview late on Saturday, the confusion and anger increased because there were so many unanswered questions about the case. on fire.
“What is this madness?” Massina said. “Why did it happen? We’re a small town that probably hasn’t been in the news since a flood like 1978.”
She says the community has pulled together after the fire and she believes enough money has been raised so families can bury their loved ones and regain their spirits. Saturday’s event embodied the spirit of the community, but the violence that followed destroyed the healing process.
Before the accident, Lauren Hess, owner of the Intoxicology Department, the bar and restaurant that hosted the event, said she quickly planned the event to help those affected. by fire, according to WNEP, a Scranton-based broadcaster. Community donations have poured in, she said.
“I got a call on Friday and I immediately asked: ‘What can I do to help because they are going through so much grief and pain?'” Ms Hess told the station, adding that she was friends with mothers who lost their children in the fire.
The event got off to a fun start, with scenes of children laughing, country music and water polo fights. “It’s going to be a great day!” Organizers posted on Facebook early Saturday.
The bar posted a statement late Saturday on Facebook calling the day “an absolute tragedy” and saying it would be closed until further notice.
Ms Massina, the mayor of Nescopeck’s daughter, says the community rarely sees violence “other than stupid fights in your Saturday night bar”.
“And now devastation after devastation, literally days apart,” she said.
