A Berks County man was killed in a head-on crash involving a trash hauler along Philadelphia Avenue (Route 724) in Cumru Township, according to authorities.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the area of Valley Stream Road for a reported crash with possible entrapment and fire. Upon arrival, officials determined that the driver of the pickup truck was deceased at the scene.
The Berks County Coroner’s Office identified the victim as Justin Braun, 47, of Shillington. Braun was pronounced dead at 3:40 p.m. on March 17 by Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel. The cause of death was determined to be blunt force trauma, and the manner of death was ruled accidental.
According to investigators, Braun was traveling westbound in the 1800 block of Philadelphia Avenue when, for reasons still under investigation, his pickup truck crossed the center line and collided nearly head-on with a trash truck traveling eastbound.
The driver and a passenger in the trash hauler were evaluated by emergency medical services and transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. Their conditions were not immediately known.
Philadelphia Avenue was closed between Valley Stream Road and Morgantown Road (Route 10) for an extended period while crews conducted an investigation and processed the scene.
The crash remains under investigation by the Cumru Township Police Department, with assistance from the Berks County Coroner’s Office and the Berks County District Attorney’s Forensic Services Unit.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has additional information is asked to contact the Cumru Township Police Department at 610-777-9595.
