One Dead After SUV Plunges into Neshaminy Creek
Update: The Bucks County coroner has identified the man who drowned in Neshaminy Creek on Thursday morning as Michael Allan Fisher, a 56-year-old from Bensalem.
A press release issued on Saturday afternoon stated the autopsy revealed the cause of death as an accidental drowning.
Fisher’s identity was withheld until his family had been notified of his death.
As reported yesterday, rescue units from Bensalem Fire Rescue, Bucks Special Ops, Cornwells FD, Croydon FD, and Philly PD Marine Units were at the scene of a vehicle and driver in the water at Neshaminy Creek.
According to the Bucks County Coroner, Meredith Buck the person found dead in the submerged Jeep was a 56-year-old Bristol Township man. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His identity is being withheld until proper notification to the family has been made.
Posters to the FYI Bensalem Facebook page had said a jeep hit multiple cars on Bristol Pike before crashing into the water, This was confirmed by Bristol Township police Lt. Ralph Johnson.
“The preliminary investigation shows that a red 2014 Jeep SUV ran the red light on Bristol Pike at Newportville Road. While passing through the red light, the Jeep struck a gray Dodge Ram Pickup, which was making a left turn from Newportville Road onto Bristol Pike,” police said in a statement.
“At 8:33 a.m., the same red 2014 Jeep SUV rear-ended a black 2004 Honda sedan, which was stopped on Bristol Pike, in the left turn lane, preparing to turn left onto Cedar Avenue,” police said in a statement.
Bristol Township police had been called to two crashes just past 8:30 am, the first at Bristol Pike and Newportville Rd. with the second call at Route 13 and Cedar Avenue.
It was then reported to police units that the same Jeep had struck a house on Haunted Lane in Bensalem Township at 8:36 am before a follow-up call stating the Jeep had landed in the creek and was sinking.
According to police “As the vehicle was sinking, witnesses observed the driver trying to escape the vehicle. They did not observe if the driver successfully exited the vehicle. They watched as the vehicle floated with the incoming tide under the Bristol Pike Bridge and stopped moving in the water behind the Water’s Edge Restaurant on Totem Rd in Bensalem Township,”