At a Glance
- A 12-car pile-up hit Berks County on Saturday amid snow-covered roads.
- A separate crash sent a vehicle into a wooded area of Fairmount Park.
- One incident occurred at 1:30 p.m. near Kelly Drive; injuries are unknown.
- Why it matters: Hazardous conditions closed major routes and left dozens of drivers at risk.
Snow blanketed the region Saturday, triggering multiple crashes across the area, including a 12-car chain-reaction wreck in Berks County and a single-vehicle flip in Philadelphia’s Fairmount Park.
Multi-Car Chaos in Berks County
State and local crews responded to the Berks County scene after reports of a 12-car crash on snow-slicked pavement. While officials have not released a full tally of injuries, emergency teams treated motorists on-site and transported others for further care.
• Crashes began shortly after snow started sticking to Route 422 and surrounding connectors.
• Traffic cameras showed cars scattered across both westbound lanes.
• PennDOT salt trucks arrived within 20 minutes, but backups stretched for miles.
Fairmount Park Incident
At roughly 1:30 p.m., a sedan slid downhill from Reservoir Drive, barreled through a guardrail gap and overturned in a wooded section below Kelly Drive. Jordan M. Lewis reported that DroneForce10 captured aerial footage of the car resting on its roof, its front end crumpled against a tree line.
• The crash site sits near the merge of Kelly Drive and the Martin Luther King Jr. Drive loop.
• Philadelphia Police closed one inbound lane while a recovery crew winched the car uphill.
• Authorities have not confirmed whether the driver or any passengers were injured.
Road Conditions at the Time
| Location | Snowfall Rate | Road Treatment | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berks County | 1 inch per hour | Pre-treatment failing | <0.25 miles |
| Fairmount Park | 0.5 inch per hour | Spotty plowing | 0.5 miles |
PennDOT warned motorists to expect icy patches on elevated surfaces, and the National Weather Service had issued a Winter Weather Advisory through 6 p.m. Saturday.
What Drivers Saw
Several commuters spoke with News Of Philadelphia reporters while waiting for tow trucks along Route 422.
“All I saw were brake lights and then a plume of white,” said Maria Alvarez, who was traveling to Reading. “By the time I stopped, three cars behind me were already sideways.”
Another driver, Derrick Long, described the Fairmount Park roads as “a sheet of glass,” adding, “I dropped to 15 mph and still fishtailed.”
Response Times
| Agency | First Alert | On-Scene Time | Lanes Reopened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berks Fire & Rescue | 11:42 a.m. | 11:51 a.m. | 2:05 p.m. |
| Philadelphia PD | 1:32 p.m. | 1:40 p.m. | 3:15 p.m. |
PennDOT District 6 reported deploying 32 salt trucks city-wide and 18 plows on limited-access highways after snow rates intensified.
What Comes Next
Police have not filed charges, citing weather as the primary factor. Investigators will review traffic-camera footage and any available dash-cam video to establish the exact sequence of impacts.
Both scenes cleared before the evening rush, but officials urged drivers to remain cautious as temperatures were expected to drop below freezing after sunset.
Key Takeaways
- Snowfall rates outpaced road treatments, leading to rapid ice formation.
- A 12-car crash in Berks County and a Fairmount Park rollover illustrate the danger.
- Injuries are unconfirmed, but crews treated multiple people on site.
- Expect lane closures to resume if additional snow showers move through overnight.
