UPDATE: Driver Struck Cars & House Before Drowning In Neshaminy Creek

UPDATED: 5:44 p.m., Thursday:

Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck said the person found dead in the submerged Jeep was a 56-year-old Bristol Township man.

The man’s name is not being released pending notification of next of kin, the coroner said.

Bristol Township police Lt. Ralph Johnson confirmed LevittownNow.com‘s earlier reporting that the incident started with two crashes prior to the Jeep ending up in the Neshaminy Creek Thursday morning.

Bristol Township officers were called to two crashes just past 8:30 a.m. at Route 13 (Bristol Pike) and Newportville Road and then another at Route 13 and Cedar Avenue.

“The preliminary investigation shows that a red 2014 Jeep SUV ran the red light on Bristol Pike at Newportville Road. While passing through the red light, the Jeep struck a gray Dodge Ram Pickup, which was making a left turn from Newportville Road onto Bristol Pike,” police said in a statement.

“At 8:33 a.m., the same red 2014 Jeep SUV rear-ended a black 2004 Honda sedan, which was stopped on Bristol Pike, in the left turn lane, preparing to turn left onto Cedar Avenue,” police said.

Officers were then dispatched to the report of the same Jeep striking a house on Haunted Lane in Bensalem Township at 8:36 a.m. It then came across that the Jeep went into the creek and was sinking, police said.

“As the vehicle was sinking, witnesses observed the driver trying to escape the vehicle. They did not observe if the driver successfully exited the vehicle. They watched as vehicle floated with the incoming tide under the Bristol Pike Bridge and stopped moving in the water behind the Water’s Edge Restaurant on Totem Road in Bensalem Township,” police said.

Bensalem Township crews and the Croydon Fire Company put their boats in the water to search for the Jeep, as police and medics gathered.

The Philadelphia Police Department dive team arrived and assisted.

Police said the 56-year-old man’s body was recovered from the Neshaminy Creek and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Rob’s Automotive’s heavy duty tow team arrived and pulled the truck from the water.

Police didn’t release what led to the man being involved in the crashes and ending up in the water.

Anyone with information on the crash has been asked to contact Officer Tyler Aspell at 267-812-3014.

Original Story:

A Jeep crashed into the Neshaminy Creek on the Bensalem Township and Bristol Township border Thursday morning. The incident left one person dead.

Around 8:38 a.m., firefighters and medics were called to the Neshaminy Creek near the closed Water’s Edge Gastropub for a water rescue.

Within minutes, firefighters from Bensalem Township and the Croydon Fire Company had boats in the creek searching for the vehicle.

Bystanders told LevittownNow.com Bensalem Township and Bristol Township police officers were along the edge of the water as firefighters in boats searched the creek.

“When I arrived at the scene, we saw two police officers go into the water waist deep. Also saw the jeep sinking fast,” said Tom Osborne, owner of TECS LLC.

A dive team from the Philadelphia Police Department was dispatched to the scene.

A source confirmed one person was found deceased in the vehicle.

Police from Bristol Township didn’t immediately release details on what happened as of 12:30 p.m. Bensalem Township police said the incident is a Bristol Township case and they are only assisting them.

Tracy Doran, whose daughter was involved in a crash along Route 13 at Cedar Avenue in Bristol Township, said police informed them the driver whose Jeep ended up in the creek was behind the crash.

“He definitely was not in the right state of mind. I am thankful my daughter and the other truck driver are ok. It’s all very sad,” she said.

A LevittownNow.com reader said the vehicle was also involved in a crash at Newportville Road and Route 13 before it ended up in the water.

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