UPDATED: Three Killed in Fiery Lanark Road Wreck

UPDATE: A local fire department official confirmed Sunday morning that three of the four occupants of the vehicle that struck a tree along Lanark Road in Center Valley Saturday night were killed in the crash. The fourth occupant–who was a rear seat passenger–suffered serious injuries, he said. The accident remains under investigation.

Firefighters, police officers and ambulance crews from the Southern Lehigh and Saucon Valley areas rushed to the scene of a car accident on Lanark Road in Upper Saucon Township Saturday evening.

A neighbor who witnessed the aftermath said she heard a “car screech” followed by a loud “bang.” She said she went outside, saw flames where the vehicle had struck a large pine tree along the road and immediately called 911.

Shortly before 9:30 p.m., the eyewitness reported that the Lehigh County coroner was also at the scene.

The neighbor, who only wanted to be identified as Lori, said another nearby resident attempted to free someone from inside the vehicle using an ax, while another neighbor approached the burning wreckage with a fire extinguisher but was driven back.

Photos she took showed a mangled mass of metal under the tree, with a green tarp covering parts of it and yellow caution tape restricting access to a driveway near the scene of the accident.

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It was unclear what type of vehicle struck the tree along with how many occupants were in the vehicle, but at least one person was taken from the scene on a stretcher, she said.

“I called 911 immediately, but the fire was so fast,” she remarked.

In addition to Upper Saucon Township firefighters, Lower Saucon Fire Rescue trucks responded to the accident scene, which was in the area of Lanark and W. Hopewell roads.

Note: This is a developing news story. It will be updated if/as additional information becomes available.

Photos contributed by Lori