A late-afternoon drive along Route 39 ended in tragedy Sunday when 28-year-old Justin Patterson of Harrisburg lost his life in a violent two-vehicle collision. The crash happened just before 5:00 p.m., leaving a local highway closed for hours as first responders worked the scene.
Patterson was driving his Lexus sedan southbound through the 500 block of South Hershey Road, also known locally as Route 39. Around 4:52 p.m., as the Lexus approached Devonshire Heights Road in West Hanover Township, the car suddenly crossed over the double-yellow line into the opposite lane.
A northbound Jeep Cherokee traveling in the opposite lane had no time to avoid the oncoming Lexus. The two vehicles slammed head-on, and the force of the impact triggered an immediate fire that engulfed both cars in flames.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene after nearby motorists called 911. Volunteer firefighters and paramedics worked quickly to extinguish the flames and extricate Patterson from the wreckage of his burning Lexus.
Despite the efforts of rescue workers on the ground, Patterson sustained fatal injuries in the crash. First responders pronounced the 28-year-old Harrisburg resident dead at the scene shortly after he was freed from the vehicle.
Patterson’s sudden death leaves family and friends in the Harrisburg area mourning a young man whose life was cut short in an instant. Friends remembered him as a quiet, hard-working local who still had his whole future ahead of him.
State police shut down Route 39 in both directions near Devonshire Heights Road so reconstruction teams could inspect the roadway and analyze the vehicle placement. PennDOT reopened the corridor around 8:30 p.m., while state police continue to investigate what led to the fatal drift across the yellow line.
Leave a Reply