Mom killed in crash as son passes tractor-trailer and collides with van, PA cops say

A Pennsylvania man was traveling west on a highway when he decided to pass a tractor-trailer by entering the eastbound lane, authorities said.

But as he was in the opposite lane of traffic, his Kia Optima collided head on with a Ford Transit van, according to the Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department.

The police department was called to the crash, in Penn Township near the Lebanon County line, at 2:22 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22.

Responding officers found the driver’s mother — Bethany Welch, 41, of Palmyra — was killed in the crash, authorities said. She had been traveling in the front passenger seat of the Optima.

Her son and the driver of the Transit were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Preliminary evidence suggests that the son, also of Palmyra, “may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the crash,” according to the release. Police do not believe his mom was wearing a seat belt when the fatal collision occurred.

“The investigation is ongoing and final outcomes, conclusions, and or associated charges are pending,” police said.

Northern Lancaster County is about 70 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

This story was originally published August 25, 2023 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Mom killed in crash as son passes tractor-trailer and collides with van, PA cops say."