Victims Identified in Saturday’s Fatal Crash and Tanker Truck Fire on Turnpike

Keith Heffintrayer | North Penn Now•

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office has released the identities of three victims who were killed in a fiery crash on the Pennsylvania Turnpike Saturday morning in Worcester Township.

The victims have been identified as 57-year-old James Achey and 52-year-old Suzette Achey, of Seaford, DE, and 63-year-old William Ramos, of Perth Amboy, NJ. The cause and manner of death for all three victims is currently pending further investigation, according to the coroner’s office.

Crews were initially dispatched to the scene at 10:24 a.m. for a report of a vehicle crash and vehicle fire with injuries and rescue. Arriving first responders found a tanker truck on the shoulder of the northbound lanes of the turnpike engulfed in flames with the wreckage of two other vehicles in front of it and debris strewn across the roadway.

Police said the crash occurred after an Acura sedan stopped to fix a flat tire in the right lane, at which point a work truck put on their hazard lights and pulled up behind the car to help. A third vehicle — a tanker truck carrying jet fuel — was unable to stop and struck both vehicles.

The driver of the Acura was hospitalized and is the sole survivor of the crash. The driver of the tanker truck — identified as Ramos — as well as the driver and passenger of the work truck — identified as James and Suzette Achey — succumbed to their injuries from the crash, police said.

Both the northbound and southbound lanes of the turnpike were closed between the Lansdale and Mid-County exits for a prolonged period as a result of the crash, with the turnpike reopening early Sunday morning.

Coverage provided by CBS3 stated that residents of homes along two roads near the scene were also evacuated due to the crash.