Where it occurred, according to Montgomery County Public Safety dispatchers
SANATOGA PA – A two-vehicle accident that occurred Wednesday (Sept. 28, 2011) at about 7:40 a.m. in the eastbound lane of East High Street, between Willow Road and Maple Glen Circle in Sanatoga village, drew first responders from the Lower Pottsgrove Police Department, the Sanatoga Fire Company, and Goodwill Ambulance, Montgomery County Public Safety dispatchers reported.
A witness on the scene told dispatchers that an elderly woman in one of the vehicles seemed to be injured and “incoherent,” according to an online incident report. Heavy front-end damage was sustained by at least one of the vehicles in the collision, the report added. An ambulance was seen leaving the area bound for Pottstown Memorial Medical Center, less than a mile west.
Two fire police units, Engine 58-1, at least one ambulance, and several police cruisers were at the site.
Traffic passing the scene, thick with buses taking children to school and adults in cars headed for work or on errands, was stop-and-go for awhile. Fire police metered the flow of vehicles that used the open, westbound lane for two-way movement.
The accident occurred within a hour of heavy thunderstorms that passed across Sanatoga, leaving roads slick. Thirteen other accidents at locations within the county were reported by dispatchers during the 30-minute periods that both preceded and followed the Sanatoga mishap.
The location of this accident has an extremely dangerous configuration of lanes and pavement markings. When the street was repaved someone had the “bright idea” of making the middle lane at this street and nearby intersection a one in the same turning lane with arrows indicating you can either turn left or right in the SAME SPOT ! What is surprising is there are not more head on accidents in this same exact spot, there are DOZENS of NEAR MISSES EVERY DAY right where this accident happened. The lanes need to be redesigned and repainted before someone is KILLED in this spot.
Terri, as East High Street is a state highway, the appeal for change on it needs to be made through channels. I suggest your recommendation be made to township Manager Rod Hawthorne, who will probably ask the Board of Commissioners to make a request to PennDOT, which will get around to it someday. Until then, we all can only pray someone does NOT get killed there.
Thanks for your comment, and for reading The Post!
was not a head on collision, she rear ended another vehicle. i made the call in to 911, i am also a firefighter with station 58.
Kevin, thanks for your comment. Thanks, too, for your prompt response in this emergency!
While one driver may have rear-ended another (and I did not witness the event, so I can’t say), I can report The Post’s description of what county dispatchers said online – that it was “head-on” – was accurate and direct from them. Dispatchers did not identify or name the witness to whom they referred; it may have been you, or someone else. I don’t know that, either. So The Post simply ran what it considered an “official source” comment at the time.
Given your comment, this morning I revised the second paragraph of the story to remove the head-on reference. It makes the story less precise, but may in fact make it more accurate.
I really appreciate the time you’ve taken to ensure we “get it right.” Thanks again. Regards,
Joe Zlomek, Managing Editor