POTTSTOWN PA – A driver and two passengers sustained minor injuries when their minivan rolled over early Monday afternoon (July 9, 2012), and temporarily trapped them inside, in what Lower Pottsgrove Township police described as a one-vehicle crash on North Charlotte Street.
Transported by Goodwill Ambulance to Pottstown Memorial Medical Center for treatment were the driver, Norman Cohn, 76; and passengers Laura Cohn, 46; and John Cohn, 9, all residents of the 1300 block of Juniper Street, Pottstown.
Ofc. Scott Weidenhammer said the crash occurred sometime around 1:38 p.m. in the area of 1541 N. Charlotte St., on the hilly curve divided by Kauffman and Maugers Mill roads. It closed the roadway in both directions, and traffic was detoured for about an hour.
Norman Cohn was driving a silver Mercury Villager south toward Pottstown when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, Weidenhammer said. The minivan entered “onto the grassy shoulder of the road, then re-entered onto the roadway, causing the vehicle to roll” and trap all three occupants inside as it came to rest on its driver’s side, he reported.
As the accident occurred the Mercury hit another vehicle, a silver Ford driven by Carolyn Robinson, who was traveling north. Robinson, 21, of the 2400 block of Romig Road, Gilbertsville, was not injured, Weidenhammer said, but her car sustained “moderate damage to the driver’s side.”
The first responder on the scene, Weidenhammer was able to rescue the boy from the back of the vehicle through its rear window. Similar efforts by members of the Ringing Hills and New Hanover fire companies, and Goodwill Rescue, freed Norman and Laura Cohn, the officer added.
Fire police units from Ringing Hills, Sanatoga and the West End fire companies provided assistance at the scene. Sanatoga Autobody towed the Villager away, Weidenhammer said. He did not report if any citations were issued, or if further investigation was anticipated.
At 76, the driver might need to consider his abilities to drive and the state should consider annual examinations of elderly drivers. While many elderly are great drivers, age, mental and visual acuity, medications and underlying medical issues sometimes infringe on that ability. A periodic review of a drivers abilities at a certain age point seems prudent and preventative.
I know this will meet with some negative reaction, but I seem to see a lot of accidents wherein elderly drivers are victims and drivers both.