Four Amish relatives die in Pa. van crash after funeral
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AIRVILLE – Four members of an Amish family died after their hired van was struck by a cement truck as they traveled home from a funeral in central Pennsylvania.
The York County coroner’s office said the fourth victim, Elizabeth Esh, 22, was pronounced dead Tuesday, a day after she delivered a stillborn boy.
Her relatives, brothers Emmanuel Esh, 73, and Melvin Esh, 66, were pronounced dead at the scene of the wreck Monday afternoon in rural southeastern York County.
State police said the victims were passengers in a van, operated by 49-year-old Connie Lally, that turned into the path of a concrete truck driven by John Ehrhart, 60. The truck then struck a third vehicle, a sedan.
The coroner’s office said Emmanuel and Melvin Esh are related to Elizabeth Esh by marriage. Officials said after autopsies Tuesday the three adults died from multiple blunt-force trauma. They said more testing was needed in order to determine the child’s cause of death.
Police said the van’s three other occupants were injured and some required hospital treatment. No information was available from police about the condition of Ehrhart or the third vehicle’s driver.
A message left for Lally Tuesday was not immediately returned.
Police said any decision about charges in the crash will be made after the investigation is completed.
The Amish are a religious group that generally does not permit the ownership of automobiles or many other modern conveniences, instead traveling by horse and buggy. They may not have driver’s licenses so often hire vehicles driven by non-Amish for longer trips.