Two members of the Walnuttown Fire Company were killed Saturday in a crash while assisting in a search for a missing person in Richmond Township, according to the Berks County Coroner’s Office.
Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel said the incident occurred around 6 p.m. on April 4, when the Berks County 911 Center began receiving calls reporting a motor vehicle accident on Route 222 in Richmond Township.
The crash involved a head-on collision between a Toyota Camry traveling southbound on Route 222 and a ZForce side-by-side utility vehicle operated by members of the Walnuttown Fire Company, who were traveling northbound as part of the search operation.
Both occupants of the utility vehicle sustained fatal injuries.
The victims were identified as Fire Chief Jeffory L. Buck of Maidencreek Township and Assistant Fire Chief Robert R. Shick Jr., also of Maidencreek Township.
According to the coroner, Buck was transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he later died from his injuries. Shick was transported to Reading Hospital, where he also succumbed to his injuries.
Autopsies for both men are scheduled for Monday morning at the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office and Forensic Center.
The Berks County Coroner’s Office is being assisted by the Lehigh County Coroner’s Office, the Berks County District Attorney’s Forensic Services Unit, and the Fleetwood Police Department.
The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash remains ongoing.
The Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced a press conference will be held Tuesday morning to provide updates on the investigation and related charges.