AMITY – The driver of a van died after the vehicle left the road on eastbound Route 422, struck a tree and burst into flames late Monday afternoon.
Amity Police said the driver was the only occupant of the 1997 Chevrolet van when it crashed around 4:50 p.m. near North Monocacy Creek Road.
‘According to witnesses, the van was traveling in the right lane and, for an unknown reason, left the roadway,’ said Cpl. Susan Brown, of the Amity Police Department.
The van traveled through the parking lot of La Casa Musso restaurant and finally crashed into the tree ‘and burst into flames,’ Brown said.
A nearby resident reportedly ran out with a pair of fire extinguishers from his home and tried to put out the blaze but was ultimately unsuccessful, according to Brown.
Whether the driver was a female or a male could not be confirmed and it was unknown whether the driver was wearing a seat belt.
It was also unknown whether the vehicle’s air bags deployed.
No other vehicles were involved in the incident, Brown said.
Around 6:45 p.m., fire crews were working to extricate the victim from the van and the Berks County Coroner’s Office was on scene.
An investigation is ongoing.