State Police responded to two crashes in Upper Bern and Upper Tulpehocken townships, both involving a stolen mini-van early morning on March 16. The second crash led to a fatality.
The first crash involved a single vehicle on Interstate 78 westbound in Upper Bern Township at 5:50 a.m. State Police at Hamburg responded to find a 2003 Ford Focus had crashed into the center median barrier while traveling at a high rate of speed. After initial impact, the Ford Focus became disabled.
State Police report that EMS was summoned and upon arrival, they observed two men off-loading contents out of the Ford Focus into a silver mini-van. After loading all contents into the van, they fled west on I-78 at a high rate of speed. A State Police registration query indicated that the Ford Focus was reported stolen out of PSP Bethlehem.
The second crash involved two vehicles at the intersection off the Exit 19 off ramp from I-78 westbound and Route 183 in Upper Tulpehocken Township at 6:20 a.m.
State Police at Hamburg report that the preliminary investigation revealed that a 2014 Toyota Sienna mini-van, the same silver van from the earlier crash on I-78 in Upper Bern, with NH registration, exited I-78 westbound onto the off ramp at a high rate of speed. A 1995 Buick sedan was traveling south on Route 183. The mini-van failed to negotiate a curve at the top of the ramp and collided into the Buick with the front end into the driver side of the Buick.
The driver of the mini-van was transported to Reading Hospital for treatment. A passenger in the mini-van was found outside of the vehicle and was detained upon State Police arrival.
The driver of the Buick, Keith Krammes, 56, of Schuylkill Haven, was extricated by Fire/EMS and flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest where he was pronounced dead from his injuries.
Troop L FSU and CARS responded and processed the scene.
The mini-van was towed and impounded at State Police Hamburg. The owner of the mini-van was notified by Nashua, NH PD and she stated that her daughter had the vehicle in the Allentown area. The daughter reported the mini-van stolen from the Comfort Inn in Upper Macungie Township, Lehigh County, sometime overnight.
State Police identified the occupants of the stolen mini-van as Vincent Bynum, 32, Allentown, and Carlos Rosario, 33, Allentown.
Bynum was charged with one count of Felony Receiving Stolen Property and one count of Conspiracy Receiving Stolen Property. Bynum was transported to the Berks County Central Booking Center.
Rosario was charged with one count of Felony Receiving Stolen Property and one count of Conspiracy Receiving Stolen Property. Rosario is currently in the Reading Medical Center receiving medical attention for injuries he sustained in crash at the intersection of Route 183 and Exit 19 ramp. Rosario will be arraigned later on the said charges and is under guard at the medical center by Berks County Sheriff’s Department personnel.
These charges stem from the first crash that occurred at 5:50 a.m. on I-78.
