BEAR GAP - A family who witnessed a tree destroy a pop-up camper and injure a teenage girl Sunday at the Knoebels Amusement Resort campground had their own pop-up camper destroyed Monday in a three-vehicle accident on Route 54 between here and Natalie in Coal Township.
The Kennelly family, of Long Island, N.Y., had left their campsite around 2 p.m. Monday when they decided to visit the Roaring Creek Tract of the Weiser State Forest.
Daly Kennelly, 30, was attempting to turn her Dodge Caravan pulling a Coleman Montauk from the eastbound passing lane of Route 54 into the forest entrance road when the camper was struck from behind by a Honda CR-V that Coal Township police said was operated by Shirley Batdorf, 51, of Kulpmont.
After the crash, the Honda traveled into the slow, eastbound lane, striking a Mercedes-Benz Kompressor, operated by Cory Wasielczyk, 25 of Hanover.
The camper detached from the Caravan and stopped on the westbound shoulder, while the Honda spun and stopped in the center of the highway.
Wasielczyk said the Honda passed his vehicle at a "fast speed" and had not applied the brakes before striking the camper. Police had not yet issued a report on what their investigation found, and the investigating officer was not available Monday night.
Kennelly, her husband Jim, 45; three sons, 8, 14, and 15; a family friend, 11, and a dog were not injured. Batdorf and Wasielczyk also escaped injury.
The Caravan had rear bumper damage, but was driven from the scene. The same could not be said for the camper. Pieces of it and personal possessions from inside were scattered across the highway. What remained on the camper was a twisted shell.
At one point, Daly Kennelly began crying and she sat on the corner of a ripped open section of the camper.
"We felt a big bang and then the camper ripped away from the van," Jim Kennelly said. "Yesterday, I was saying what a shame it was that a nice pop-up was destroyed, now mine is junk."
The camper was purchased about two years ago and was in perfect condition, according to the family.
The Honda, which had major front-end damage, and the Kompressor, which had front driver's side damage, were towed.
Just feet away
Jim Kennelly said his campsite was 25 feet from where Holly Schultz, 17, of Red Lion, suffered a leg injury at 4:45 p.m. Sunday when a large tree fell during a thunderstorm.
Schultz was transported to Geisinger-Shamokin Area Community Hospital, where she was treated and then released.
Joe Muscato, director of public relations for Knoebels, said the family was offered a cottage at the campground, free of charge, but decided to leave instead.
Park and campground staff assisted in removal of the tree and camper.