PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A tree fell on a car that was traveling on a Delaware road during strong overnight storms, killing one of the occupants.
Delaware State Police said the 79-year-old woman was in the passenger seat of a Lexus SUV, traveling westbound on Lancaster Pike in New Castle County, when the driver swerved to avoid a falling tree.
However, the tree crashed on top of the Lexus, killing the woman and seriously injuring the 79-year-old male driver.
The overnight storms took down many other trees across the region. Meanwhile, in Bucks County, thousands of homes and businesses spent Tuesday morning without power.
Rachel Collins served early-morning drinks to loyal customers in a lantern-lit Sparky’s World Famous, a popular dive bar in Levittown.
“I got here at 6:45 this morning. Saw a light out down at that end and this light down. My guy came to service the machines, but they can’t because the power is out,” she said. “Fortunately, we have good customers that come in regardless.”
One of those regulars is Chuck Oczkowski, of Bensalem. He said he was on the turnpike when the bad weather rolled in.
“We drove 15 mph after we got outta the Lehigh Tunnel. We drove 15 mph until we got to Lansdale, then we got up to 30 mph,” he recalled.
Weather officials estimate about an inch and a half of rain has fallen since Monday morning.
The National Weather Service said it will issue a flood watch for the region beginning at 2 p.m. Tuesday, as more rain is in the forecast.