SINKING SPRING, Pa. — A man who chased his estranged girlfriend through town used his car to push hers into the path of an oncoming freight train after both had stopped at a railroad crossing, police said. She and three others in the car were killed.
Candace Wertz made a frantic 911 call on her cellular phone and was talking to a dispatcher when her car was struck by the train, state police Cpl. Bruce Edwards said.
The man, who fled, was being sought today. The car he was believed to be driving was found late Thursday in Reading, about five miles away.
"We feel that we have a good idea who is responsible for this tragedy, and we're pursuing that person now," Edwards said. The man's identity was not released.
State police were interviewing friends and relatives of Wertz and the other woman who was killed. Police say they also expect to talk to friends of Wertz's estranged boyfriend.
Tammy Wertz said that her sister-in-law had planned to move to another town because her boyfriend was physically and verbally abusive.
"She just couldn't get away from him," she said. "I hope they find this man. No one should get away with something like this."
The crash happened about 4:30 p.m. Thursday at a crossing on the main thoroughfare in Sinking Spring, a town of about 2,400 people 50 miles northwest of Philadelphia.
It followed a half-hour chase in and around town that reached speeds up to 90 mph, police said.
Wertz, 20, of Sinking Spring, went around a car that was parked at the crossing — the gates were down because of the oncoming train — and then stopped in the oncoming traffic lane, state police Lt. Ed Snyder said.
"The second vehicle came up behind her and struck her in the rear. The second vehicle then pushed the first vehicle onto the tracks," Snyder said.
The Norfolk Southern freight train was going about 40 mph at the time of the collision, Edwards said. He said the engineer applied the brakes but was unable to stop in time, dragging the woman's car nearly 60 feet before coming to a rest.
Wertz and her 2-year-old son, John Michael Cortez, were pronounced dead at the scene. Another woman in her 20s and a girl about 6 years old died after being taken to hospitals. Their names were not released.