4 teens hurt in crash

By MATT COUGHLIN
Bucks County Courier Times

Four teens were injured after their car crashed into a tree in the Oaktree section of Bristol Township during an alleged attempt to flee from police, according to authorities.

One 16-year-old was flown to Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia; police said both his legs were broken. Two of the other teens were taken to St. Mary Medical Center in Middletown and the fourth was taken to Frankford Hospitals’ Torresdale campus. All four are Bristol Township residents, police said. None of the injuries were initially believed to be life-threatening, according to police.

Bristol Township Sgt. Tom Gaffney said shortly before 8:30 p.m. a patrol officer spotted a small Nissan sedan parked in the rear lot of Washington Elementary School on Crabtree Drive. At least two people were standing by the car when the officer pulled into the lot to investigate what he believed was "suspicious activity," Gaffney said. The car sped away as the officer activated his emergency lights, police said.

"He said he was going to stop the car and the next [radio transmission] was ‘They wrecked,’ " Gaffney said.

The car — with its headlights reportedly still off — sped away on Crabtree Drive to Oaktree Drive, where the vehicle went out of control, struck a tree sideways and rolled over, police said. It landed on its roof less than 10 yards from Black Ditch Creek and about 200 yards from the school. Firefighters from Levittown Fire Company No. 2, Edgely,  Fairless Hills & Falls Township Fire Co.cut into the vehicle before they were able to remove the accident victims. It took about 40 minutes to pull the 16-year-old out of the crumpled Nissan.

Gaffney said police found several packages of suspected crack cocaine in the car and a roll of cash wrapped in a $50 bill. Police believe the teens may have been dealing the drug and sped off when they spotted the police car, according to Gaffney.

Matt Coughlin can be reached at
215-949-4172 or mcoughlin@phillyBurbs.com.