Driver in bypass crash identified

An Exeter Township man was severely injured early Sunday, Nov. 28, when his car veered into a ditch along Route 12 then flipped onto its roof in the middle of the westbound lanes, resulting in a related multi-vehicle crash.

Codey A. Hoffman, 28, was the only person injured in the four-vehicle crash at 3:05 a.m. on Route 12, also known as the Warren Street Bypass, just west of River Road, police said.

Police provided this account:

Hoffman was westbound at a high speed when his car veered off the right side of the road into a ditch, causing the car to flip onto its roof as it re-entered the highway.

A car driven by Taryn Mehalshick, 36, of Spring Township came upon the crash while driving a car in the right lane. She was parallel to an SUV that occupied the left lane. The name of that driver was unavailable for the police report.

Both drivers steered to the right to avoid crashing into the overturned car. The SUV struck the left side of Mehalshick’s car, forcing it off the shoulder while the SUV remained on the road. In trying to steer her car back onto the road, Mehalshick’s vehicle rode on top of a guide rail and came to rest straddling the top rail.

A fourth vehicle, a car driven by Andrew J. Martz, 24, of Lower Heidelberg Township, was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the overturned car. While Hoffman was still trapped inside his overturned car, it was struck on the rear the driver’s side door, sending the overturned car spinning into the center median barrier before coming to rest in the center of the westbound lanes.

Hoffman, who was partially thrown from the car, was removed by emergency responders. He was taken to Reading Hospital with what were described as severe injuries, including head trauma. Information on his medical condition was unavailable from the hospital Monday.

The westbound lanes were closed for six hours at the River Road exit.

About five hours after that crash, a second multivehicle crash closed the eastbound lanes of Route 12 for about 45 minutes in the area of Carpenter Technology, not far from the overnight pileup in the westbound lanes about 2:25 p.m.

Initial reports were that the crash involved four to five vehicles, including a tractor-trailer. One person suffered a minor injury, and a medic unit was dispatched to evaluate that person.

A police report on the second crash was unavailable Monday.