Joe Bardroff was heading home from work in the King of Prussia area Sunday morning when icy roadways turned deadly right in front of him.
At about 6:20 a.m., Bardroff was driving along the Schuykill Expressway when he came upon a chain reaction crash involving about 60 vehicles. Black ice had caused a number of vehicles to skid out of control. Police say Eric Blau, of Philadelphia, struck and killed when he got out of his car after it was involved in the crash.
“When I left King of Prussia, it wasn’t bad,” he said. “Then it started to rain and the roads started to ice up.”
Bardroff, a partner in the D’Anjolell-Barone Funeral Home in Wallingford, was stuck for about 50 minutes until he was able to get onto Interstate 476 and continue home.
Then it happened again. A tractor-trailer driving southbound spun out of control on the slick roadway, causing other vehicles to slam into the big rig.
“It happened right in front of my face,” Bardroff said. “I saw it all.”
Bardroff, who is also a volunteer firefighter with the Middletown Fire Co., saw the tractor-trailer jackknife. Then cars began to slide; several could not avoid colliding with the tractor-trailer and slid underneath, he said.
When everything came to a stop, the volunteer firefighter jumped into action.
“I jumped out of my car and started going from car to car,” he said. “I heard screaming and yelling and stared to help people out of their cars.”
Inside one of the cars that was partially under the tractor-trailer was a couple and their baby. The woman was able to get out of the car, while Bardroff and another man pulled the baby to safety. A man in the car was alive, but trapped and unable to move, he said.
Another man was also trapped inside of his car.
“The one gentleman, I tried to move him,” Bardroff said. “The other gentleman, I was holding his neck to keep him still.”
The scene was complete chaos. A Pennsylvania State trooper was one of the first emergency responders to arrive at the crash scene. His patrol vehicle was struck by another car and spun around, Bardroff said.
“The silver and blue cars were next to each other and both were underneath the truck,” Bardroff said. “I kept running back and forth from each car to do what I could.”
It took EMS and firefighters about 30 minutes before they were able to make their way along the icy roadway to get to the victims.
The woman and her baby survived and were transported to a local hospital, said Bardroff.
Both of the men who were trapped in their cars succumbed to their injuries. Police have identified the deceased as Thomas Brennan of Lansdale and Jason Anderson of Dover, Delaware. A third man reportedly suffered serious head trauma.
Anderson, 33, was employed as the senior director of ticket sales and operations for Dover International Speedway. He was described as a dedicated husband, father, employee and friend.
“Jason’s death is a tragic loss for all of us who considered him a close friend, as well as a loss for Dover International Speedway,” said President Mike Tatoian. “He was an exemplary employee who always put customers and co-workers first. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family during this very difficult time.”
For Bardroff, a longtime firefighter, witnessing the loss of life such as occurred on the Blue Route Sunday is devastating.
“I still can’t deal with it today,” he said on Monday. “Both of the victims were still alive …,” his voice trailed off.
After the crash, drivers were trapped on the Blue Route for about five hours until the roadway could be reopened. The tragedy that he witnessed firsthand on Sunday hit Bardroff hard when he finally arrived home.
“When I was alone, I broke down. Then last night I woke up thinking, what else could I have done?” Bardroff said. “I’d never been on a scene like that. It was the worst experience.”
