Crime & fire.
A Phoenixville woman was charged by Pennsylvania State Police for following too closely in a major crash that took out a mailbox and landed two vehicles on top of a guardrail on Betcher Road in Perkiomen Township.
Pennsylvania State Police reported July 12 that the accident occurred May 24 at 7:26 a.m. on Betcher Road near E. 7th Avenue.
According to the report, Grace A. Hilferty, 20, of Phoenixville, was driving a 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe westbound on Betcher Road, behind a 2017 Nissan Rogue, driven by Amelia J. Kennedy, 20, of Schwenksville, police said.
Kennedy started coming to a stop in her Nissan at a stop sign at the intersection. Hilferty, police allege, failed to recognize Kennedy was slowing and quickly approached the Nissan.
Police said Hilferty swerved abruptly to the right side of her lane to avoid impact with the Nissan, unsuccessfully. After impacting the Nissan, Hilferty’s Hyundai struck a mailbox, and then impacted the passenger side rear quarter panel of the Nissan, police said.
The impact caused the Nissan to lose rear wheel traction, and both cars hit the guiderail and went over it, police said.
The Hyundai hit a tree off the roadway, police said, and both cars came to rest suspended atop the guiderail.
Both vehicles sustained serious damage and were towed from the scene.
Neither driver was injured in the crash, police said.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
