NEW HANOVER – A man died after his car struck a tree early Tuesday evening while traveling south on Schaffer Road.
Dispatched around 7:21 p.m., New Hanover Police found the vehicle crashed head-on into an oak tree at least 100 feet tall just off the east side of Schaffer Road on its 2400 block.
Schaffer Road winds through dense woods for the entirety of its stretch between Swamp Pike and Pruss Hill Road.
Police said the man, the only occupant of the black, Audi A4, was in his late 20s and that the crash only involved his vehicle.
His identity was not released Tuesday as authorities worked to notify his family.
The New Hanover Fire Department responded to the scene and cut off the roof of the car to extricate the driver.
Limerick Fire Company crews also initially responded and so did Goodwill Ambulance.
It did not initially appear that the driver was wearing his seatbelt, according to police, who could not release details on the crash Tuesday night due to the ongoing investigation into the incident.
Sergeant William Moyer said the New Hanover Police brought in their own accident reconstruction team.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and eventually removed the man’s body from where it was laying on the driver’s side of the car to a waiting van via stretcher with firefighters present helping.
Extensive damage was visible at the front end of the Audi before it was towed away.
Late Tuesday night, the removed roof of the car laid on the road and a child’s car seat rested on top of it, also removed from the vehicle.
Crews worked past 10 p.m. to clear the road.
From www.pottsmerc.com
