Nescopeck Volunteer Fire Company firefighter Harold Baker is comforted at the scene of an accident in Berwick, Pennsylvania, on August 13. Bob Kalinowski/Associated Press
One person was killed and 17 others were injured when a vehicle plowed into a crowd gathered at a Pennsylvania bar for a fundraiser for the victims of a house fire that killed 10 earlier this month; The man, who police say was the driver, was arrested shortly after in the beating that killed his mother nearby.
The crash happened around 6:15 p.m. Saturday outside the bar of Berwick’s poison control unit, where it was scheduled to hold a day-long fundraising event to benefit the victims of the Aug. 5 fire that killed seven adults and three children in Nescopeck .
Pennsylvania State Police identified the driver as Adrian Osvaldo Sura Reyes, 24, of Nescopeck. He was arraigned early Sunday morning on two counts of criminal homicide.
Shortly after the crash was reported, officers were called to a man “physically assaulting” a woman less than a mile away in Nescopeck. Officers arrived to find Sura Reyes arrested by local police and a woman dead.
Luzerne County Coroner Francis Hacken confirmed Sunday that the victim, Rosa D. Reyes, 56, of Nescopeck — who died of multiple traumatic injuries after being struck by a vehicle and then attacked with a hammer — was the suspect’s mother, Sura Reyes.
Geisinger Medical Center said it had admitted 15 patients since the crash, and five remained in critical condition, while three were listed in good condition, a hospital spokesman said Sunday morning. Seven patients were treated at hospitals and released.
Officer Anthony Petroski III told reporters at a midnight news conference that Sura Reyes is not currently a suspect in the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation.
“This is a complete tragedy in a community that has already had tragedy,” Petroski said. “We will do our job to the best of our ability to conduct a thorough investigation not only for the families but also for the members of the community.” They are already hurting.”
Sura Reyes was denied bail and remained in the D.C. Jail pending an Aug. 29 preliminary hearing. Wilkes-Barre newspapers reported that he said only “I’m sorry” in response to questions from reporters as he was led away from the Shikshini police station. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney available to comment on his behalf.
The first burials of the fire victims took place on Friday, with others scheduled for Sunday and Monday.
The bar called the events an “absolute tragedy” and said on its Facebook page that it would be closed until further notice and would like privacy “while we grieve, try to process the events that have occurred.”
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