A fatal crash occurred Saturday afternoon on Route 61 near Seven Stars Road in North Manheim Township, Schuylkill County, following a vehicle pursuit with the Pennsylvania State Police.
According to the Pennsylvania State Police at Schuylkill Haven, the incident began around 3:00pm, when a trooper conducted a traffic stop on a 2017 red Kia Rio for a traffic violation. The driver, identified as 43-year-old Matthew Williams from Frackville, fled the scene in his vehicle.
The trooper pursued Williams as he traveled south on Route 61. Approximately a quarter mile from the initial stop, Williams approached the intersection near the Cressona Mall entrance. While driving in a right-turn lane, his vehicle rear-ended a black SUV, causing a multi-vehicle collision.
Williams' car came to rest in the northbound lanes of Route 61. He sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene. Several other individuals involved in the collision were transported to the hospital for treatment of injuries. Their conditions remain unknown.
State Police were assisted at the scene bySchuylkill Haven Borough Police, Orwigsburg Borough Police, Schuylkill Haven Fire Department, Pottsville Fire Police, Schuylkill EMS, and the Schuylkill County Coroner's Office.