The collision, caused by thick fog and bumper-to-bumper traffic, set vehicles on fire, including a tractor-trailer, Benne's car and a minivan.
Hess said Benne died as a result of the initial impact and not the fire. Hess ruled the cause of death as multiple blunt force trauma and the manner of death as accident. The coroner's office used dental records to identify Benne.
Two other men in the crash remained at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, one in critical condition. Another man was released Tuesday from Reading Hospital.
According to Northern Berks Regional police, a tractor-trailer driven by Gary Abbood, 58, of Plainfield, Conn., hit a minivan stopped at the end of a line of traffic on Route 222, just west of Rich Maiden Road, at 8:15 a.m.
The minivan, driven by Santos Cid of Brooklyn, N.Y., was pushed into Benne's car and then off the highway.
Cid's minivan burst into flames. He was taken to Reading Hospital and released Tuesday. A vehicle driven by Michael Petrine, 42, of Salisbury Township, was sideswiped by Cid's vehicle. Petrine went to Lehigh Valley Hospital on his own as a precaution.
Benne's car burst into flames after it was pushed into the back of a stopped tractor-trailer driven by Ken Auker of Denver, Lancaster County, who was uninjured.
Abbood's truck caught fire and went into the the southbound lane and hit a vehicle. Lehigh Valley Hospital officials wouldn't say whether Abbood was in the hospital, but Northern Berks Regional Police Chief Scott Eaken said a detective spoke to him there Tuesday.
A sport utility vehicle driven by Timothy Panfile, 51, of Exeter Township, Berks County,rammed into Abbood's rig. He was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition Tuesday afternoon. Police were unsure if Panfile was going north or south.
Finally, a van driven by Jonathan St. George, 24, of Macungie, hit Panfile's vehicle, but he was uninjured and his van suffered little damage.
Discussion Zen 5 Speculation (EPYC Turin and Strix Point/Granite Ridge - Ryzen 9000)
Facebook
Twitter