COLLEGEVILLE – There was a tragic event as a storm on Wednesday resulted in at least one person dying in Montgomery County.
Mary Baker, 82, from Perkiomen Township, was killed on Wednesday afternoon when a tree fell on her car as she was stopped in traffic near Ursinus College in Collegeville, according to Collegeville Police Chief Barton Bucher.
The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety got a call at 1:03 p.m. reporting that a person was trapped inside a vehicle that had a tree fall on it at the intersection of East Main Street and East Ninth Avenue in Collegeville, according to Todd Stieritz, deputy director of public affairs for the county’s public safety agency.
The victim, later identified as Baker, was “stopped for traffic at a red light” when a “tree fell onto her car,” Bucher said. Several first responders were sent to the area, including the Collegeville-based police and fire departments, and Friendship Ambulance, of Royersford.
The intersection was closed for about two hours as first responders worked to free Baker from the vehicle. She was the only person in the car and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Storm calls
The Montgomery County Department of Public Safety received a high number of service calls during the rainfall. The Collegeville fatality was one of 2,509 calls recorded from 6 a.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, Stieritz said. It’s not clear if anyone else was injured due to the storm.
Road obstructions and vehicle crashes were the main reported incidents over the 24-hour period, with 195 road obstructions and 121 vehicle accidents. Other dispatched incidents included 55 defective traffic lights, 50 outdoor electrical fires, 35 disabled vehicles, and 13 hazardous road conditions.
Out of the more than 2,500 calls made to the 911 center, Stiertiz said that the busiest time was from noon to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, with 1,220 calls. In 2023, the department reported an average of 1,999 calls per 24 hours.
“On Wednesday, we experienced damage and travel issues across Montgomery County due to strong winds and heavy rain,” Stieritz said Thursday. “When forecasts predict a storm like this, we urge our residents to postpone any nonessential travel. Staying off the roads keeps them clear for first responders, road crews, and utility workers.”
The storm on Wednesday brought strong winds to the area, with speeds of nearly 50 mph in parts of Montgomery County. According to the National Weather Service’s Mount Holly, New Jersey office, Pottstown experienced wind speeds of 47 mph, King of Prussia and Wings Field in Blue Bell reported 40 mph wind speeds. Additionally, Schwenksville, as well as New Hanover and Worcester townships, had locally reported wind speeds of 37 mph.
As for rainfall totals, there was varying precipitation over a three-day period, ranging from 2.5 inches to almost 5 inches in some areas.
As of 10:26 a.m. Thursday, the highest rainfall totals in the area were 4.75 inches in New Hanover Township, 4.29 inches in Collegeville, 3.92 inches in Gilbertsville, and 3.78 inches in Pennsburg, according to figures from the National Weather Service.
In Lansdale, the council and committee meetings discussed the weather on Wednesday night, with staff providing updates on a power outage in the borough caused by fallen utility poles on Spring Avenue. The borough's electric department reported that power outages began around 1 p.m. following a lightning strike on a transformer, and continued in some areas until 9 p.m. Police assisted with traffic control at intersections where signal lights were out, and the borough hall used generator power for the evening's public meetings.
Councilman Andrew Carroll praised not only the Electric department, but all other borough departments, including police, fire, public works, administration, and parks and recreation, for their handling of the day's storms.
