A 22-year-old woman died in a fiery two-car crash in Bustleton on Monday night that five others, including two infants, survived.
Police said that Anna Marie Drummond, of the 4300 block of I St., was a front-seat passenger in one of the vehicles and was unable to escape as flames engulfed it. She may have been pregnant, according to multiple news reports.
The crash occurred at about 11:12 p.m. on Red Lion Road near Haldeman Avenue and involved a 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis and a 1994 Mercury Grand Marquis, police said. The cars were travelling eastbound side-by-side and had just crossed Haldeman when the car in the left lane hit a median strip, struck the car in the right lane and crashed into a tree on the eastbound curb. That car, the 2005 Mercury, caught fire.
Meanwhile, the 1994 Mercury also struck a tree on the eastbound curb, veered back into the street and came to rest in the lefthand lane.
Bystanders helped the driver of the 2005 Mercury, a 22-year-old woman, escape the burning car as well as a 1-year-old boy who had been strapped into a child safety seat. The driver suffered a broken leg and was taken to Aria Health Torresdale. The child suffered only a cut lip, police said. Drummond remained trapped in the car and died at the scene. Firefighters extinguished the blaze.
A man, 24, was driving the 1994 Mercury and was uninjured. A 19-year-old woman passenger and a 1-year-old boy who was in a child safety seat were taken to Aria Health Torresdale for observation.
On Tuesday, charred debris including a child safety seat remained scattered at the scene during the morning rush hour. The cause of the accident remains under investigation. News reports citing unnamed police sources stated that excessive speed is suspected as a factor. The speed limit on Red Lion Road is 35 mph.
News reports also stated that the motorists may have known each other and were tested for driving while under the influence. The results of those tests are pending. No charges have been filed. ••
