Emmaus High School Car Accident – A high school student died and several other people were injured in a two-car accident that happened on Tuesday near Emmaus High School. The victim was identified as a 16-year-old boy. According to Lehigh County Coroner Daniel A. Buglio, the boy was pronounced dead at 3:23 p.m. at the scene at North Boulevard and Cedar Crest Boulevard in the borough. The victim was a passenger in a motor vehicle.
Buglio mentioned that an autopsy would be conducted on Wednesday and stated that he was informing the family and relatives. Although witnesses present at the 2:30 p.m. accident scene claimed that the deceased individual was a student, neither Buglio nor Emmaus police confirmed this information on Tuesday evening.
According to these witnesses, several other passengers in the same vehicle were also students, and at least three of them were taken away from the scene in ambulances. They mentioned that the car might have had up to seven people in it. The driver of the other vehicle, who seemed to be the only person inside, remained at the crash site.
Authorities present, including the police and V. Paul Bernardino III from the Lehigh County district attorney’s office, declined to provide comments. During the incident, school buses were leaving the vicinity, and a bus driver was seen performing CPR on the boy who passed away. The victim has not been identified as Edwin Cortez.
Around 5:30 p.m., two men wearing hospital visitor stickers on their shirts arrived and observed the scene for a while before leaving, offering each other comfort. The East Penn School District notified families via email that counselors were accessible, although a message was also left for school Superintendent Kristen Campbell.
Cedar Crest Boulevard was shut down between Pine Street and the entrance to Wawa, but authorities were preparing to reopen the road shortly after 6 p.m. This road, also known as Route 29, typically experiences heavy traffic during the evening rush hour.