Route 23 victims identified
King Morpheous
Tarek Tannous, Special to The Mercury February 10, 2002
WARWICK -- Three people were killed in a head-on collision between two cars
Friday, including two Millersville University students headed home for the
weekend and a "John Doe," who was burned beyond recognition, and not
identified until late Saturday night.
A third student was severely injured in the accident, which occurred on
Route 23, just west of West Grove Road, according to reports.
"We know that the car with the kids in it, they were passing another car and
were in the on-coming lane when the accident occurred," said Chester County
Coroner Dr. Rodger Rothenberger. "It was just a large, fast-impact
collision."
According to State Police reports, the accident occurred at about 4:30 p.m.
The students were headed eastbound on Route 23 in a 1995 Hyundai when they
attempted to pass an Oldsmobile ahead of them and crashed into an on-coming
Saturn, police said.
"John Doe," the driver of the Saturn, was pronounced dead at the scene. He
was identified through dental records late Sat-urday as Steven Billman, 44,
of Annville. The Saturn burst into flames moments after the accident, and
Mr. Billman was severely burned, police said.
The students, Alicia Minnick, 20, of Norristown, and Kelly Swider, 20, of
Collegeville, were pronounced dead at Brandywine Hospital and Trauma Center.
Michael Reppa, 20, of Audubon, who was reportedly driving the car, remains
in critical condition at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, a
hospital spokeswoman said Saturday night.
The driver of the Oldsmobile, Mark Smith, 46, of Fogelsville, was not hurt,
though police said his car sustained minor damages when it glanced the
Saturn during the collision.
"The kids passed him and the accident happened briefly after that,"
Rothenberger said. "He drove through the middle of it, and amazingly came
through without any injuries himself."
Rothenberger said the driver appears to have been a man, though earlier
witness reports identify the driver as a woman. Police have recovered the
vehicle identification number of the Saturn, and a dental identification
process is currently being conducted in efforts to determine the driver's
identity.
The Hyundai is registered to the Minnick family, though Rothenberger said
that Reppa, who is Alicia's boyfriend, was driving. After the collision, the
car was slammed off the road and into a fence.
The Saturn was pushed backwards into the middle of the road, where it
exploded, police said.
A truck-load of U.S. Army medics happened to have been driving in the area
when the accident occurred, and attempted to administer aid to the victims,
Rothenberger said. They tried to resuscitate the two girls, but they were
unconscious and unresponsive, he said.
Emergency personnel arrived and the three students were transferred to
Brandywine Hospital and Trauma Center. Minnick and Swider died within a few
hours, and Reppa was moved to the university hospital in Philadelphia,
Rothenberger said.
Dr. Todd Addis, a veterinarian who lives near the scene, heard the impact
from inside his home. He ran to the Saturn, which had come to a rest in the
roadway, while dialing 911 on a portable phone.
"It was on fire," he said. "There was fire outside the driver's door, fire
in the back, and there was even fire on the road."
Addis ducked into the flames and reached to the driver, whom he described as
a young woman.
"I'm not sure how I managed to reach in," he said. "I guess the window was
crashed out. I tilted her head back to see if there were any signs of life."
Addis said the woman was already dead.
"As soon as I turned, her car went up in a burst of flames," he said.
Addis then ran to the second vehicle and noticed others had arrived on the
scene to help. The car was severely damaged. Addis said smoke was pouring
from the engine and he wanted to get the people out, fearing another fire,
but the mangled doors wouldn't open and the fence was completely blocking
one side of the car.
"I couldn't even discern the driver; he was so crushed in that mangled
mess," he said. "I saw a young lady in the back seat moving, and one in the
front seats made some movements."
Rothenberger said he does not believe alcohol was a factor in the accident,
but a mandatory toxicology exam will be conducted.
"From what I know, after talking with the families and getting to know the
history a little bit, is that these were good kids," he said. "These are
always the toughest cases. They're just kids; they had a lot ahead of them."
Jason McKee contributed to this story.
ŠThe Mercury 2002