Cause of Fatal Accident Under Investigation

Northampton Township Police are actively working to determine what caused a fatal car wreck Saturday on Old Jacksonville Road, Police Chief Barry Pilla said Monday.

The accident killed 19-year-old Cameron Smithwick, a former Council Rock High School North student. He died on impact, according to authorities. Four other teens in the Council Rock School District were injured, according to the Northampton Township Police Department.

As of Monday evening, Pilla said investigators are interviewing witnesses and assessing physical evidence. “Investigators are moving prudently to determine the cause of this crash,” he said.

“In our effort to seek the truth, we must rely on the full cooperation of all parties involved and the physical evidence we can discover and assess,” Pilla said. 

Monroe Leonard Tanner IV, 18 of Ivyland was driving the car, a Monte Carlo, shortly before 2 p.m. when it left the roadway. Tanner was in critical condition following the accident; no information regarding his currenct condition has been released by authorities. Louis Piotti, 17, Matthew Slade, 18, and Daniel Harris, 17, all Northampton Township residents, have been released from the hospital.

Pilla said the police department is taking into consideration the impact that this crash had on the involved families and the community in general.  “This is a terrible event,” he said. 

Anyone with any information regarding this crash or the events leading up to it should call 215-322-6111 to speak with an officer.