Responding to criticism about their response to last week’s massive pileup on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Pennsylvania State Police say troopers did the best they could handling the mess.
Pa. State Police Sgt. Michael Chambers told NBC10 on Monday, troopers, including himself, were responding to another serious crash on the Northeast Extension, which required a medical helicopter to be dispatched, when the Turnpike pileup occurred.
“I think everything went very well, but I think unfortunately we had two major crashes and that really affected the way that we were able to handle that 100 car pileup,” he said.
More than 100 cars, trucks and tractor trailers were involved in the pileup that began around 8:30 a.m. on Friday in the eastbound lanes of the Turnpike. There were several groups of crashes along a 5 mile stretch of the highway between Lower Southampton to Bensalem, Bucks County. Hundreds of people were left trapped on the highway for several hours and 27 people were injured, some seriously, in the incident.
Drivers complained that the highway was icy at the time of the crash.
“It was icy,” said Steve Caldwell, a truck driver who was caught up in the pileup. “It wasn’t a little bit. It was two inches thick of ice. I just kept sliding, sliding and sliding.”
Speed restrictions were lifted on the Turnpike about an hour before the pileup. State Police who were on the scene insisted that maintenance crews treated the Turnpike before the restrictions were lifted.
“I do know the roads were salted,” Chambers said adding that he heard a plow train radioing from the highway around 7:15 a.m. that morning.
Despite the large pileup, however, the highway remained open, slowing down first responders and allowing more drivers to get ensnarled in the stopped traffic.
Fred Harran, Director of Public Safety for Bensalem, Pa., says his department wasn’t informed there was a major crash on the Turnpike until after NBC10 called asking for information.
“I was informed by NBC and then I got on the phone with State Police and asked if they wanted our assistance,” he said.
Feeling the response was taking too long, Harran said he ordered his officers to go and close the highway.
“We couldn’t get equipment to us,” Harran said. “I made the decision to shut the Turnpike down.”
Harran questioned why it took so long to shut down the roadway.
Sources close to the accident investigation say there were major communication problems at the time. At one point, State Police say only one trooper caught in the traffic was on the scene.
Chambers acknowledged that it took more than an hour for the westbound lanes of the toll road to be closed to allow first responders to get to the scene and help the injured. He said troopers also had a tough time getting to the scene.
“It was a very difficult time getting to the actual scene. I actually had to get off the Turnpike myself and access it through the back roads,” he said. “There was confusion because we were stuck in the backlog which is the four mile line of traffic eastbound that we couldn’t get through.”
Chambers, who served as incident commander, said there was a lack of coordination from the scene until he got there. He also said troopers, at first, were focused on ensuring the injured were treated before trying to close the highway. Once the “life safety” issues were handled, troopers began to move drivers off the interstate, the sergeant said.
Two corporals came up from behind the crashes and walked through the stopped traffic, directing drivers to turn and drive the opposite way along the highway, according to Chambers.
“You have to remember it’s a 100-plus car pileup you have to be slow and methodical with what you’re doing. You just have to make sure you’re doing everything correctly and attend to the injured first,” Chambers said.
The Turnpike remained closed for more than 8 hours until all drivers were removed from the scene and the crash was cleaned up.
Chambers said the investigation into the pileup is ongoing and that officials will be doing a post-mortem to see if anything should be changed for responding to future incidents.
“Obviously we’re going to talk about it in meetings and decide what the best route will be next time and learn from our mistakes,” Chamber said.
Only one of the victims hurt during the pileup remains in the hospital. That person is in good condition.
A man is behind bars accused of a shooting rampage inside an area home yesterday morning.
Isaac Bruce, 24, of Camden is accused of shooting and killing Clementon, N.J.'s Marvin McClinton inside a home on the 1800 block of S 6th Street in Camden, N.J. Monday.
According to prosecutors, Bruce showed up at the home around 1:30 a.m. with a shotgun in had -- something that was common for him and not a cause of concern.
For some reason, around 4:30 a.m., Bruce allegedly used that shotgun to shoot McClinton on the second-floor. The force of the blast "sent the victim reeling downstairs," according to county prosecutors.
Police found McClinton dead of a gunshot wound to the head at the foot of the stairs. He was 21 years old.
According to prosecutors, Bruce also opened fire on a second person but missed, only hitting that person's hoodie.
Bruce then fled the scene, according to investigators.
Police quickly responded to the scene. They could be seen using flashlights as the searched door to door for clues.
Police didn't say how they tracked down Bruce. He was expected to be arraigned on murder charges Tuesday afternoon.
A Philadelphia man who allegedly filmed himself committing drive-by hold ups and then posting the video online has been charged with assault and robbery.
Daron Stinson, 21, has been charged with Aggravated Assault, Robbery and related offenses for two assaults that took place on Feb. 13, Philadelphia Police said on Tuesday.
Police say Stinson used a black pellet handgun to commit the assaults and recorded the incidents, posting the videos on Instagram.
Stinson and another man, who has not yet been identified by authorities, drove up to a man walking along the 2200 block of Diamond Street at 2:25 p.m. last Thursday, pointed the gun at him and then fled, police say.
In the video of this incident, the victim could be seen diving to the ground when Stinson pulls the pellet gun's trigger.
Just over a half-hour later, police say the pair drove up to a man salting a sidewalk along the 2800 block of Diamond Street, pointed the handgun at him and demanded he place the rock salt into the back of their black pickup truck.
On the video, the men yell profanities at the victim as he spills the rock salt on the ground. They then drive away.
There are a handful of similar videos posted on Stinson's Instagram account tagged as "drive-by pranks." A comment from his account posted under one of videos says the group is simply playing around.
“All of this is jokes,” the comment read. “I’m not out here really robbing people. I’m not out here really shooting people. I could be doing that. That’s the s**t I’m trying to leave behind.”
However, the man's father, Rodney Stinson, told NBC10.com he's not amused by the videos.
"He considers it funny," Rodney Stinson said. "He does a lot of other things. Nothing with the gun is funny. Nothing. I don't consider it funny."
Sources tell NBC10.com Daron Stinson works as a security guard for AlliedBarton Security, and has, at times, been assigned to work at the Philadelphia Police Training Center in the Spring Garden section of the city.
The 21-year-old remains in custody at Philadelphia Police's Central Detective Division and is awaiting arraignment. He does not have a prior record.
Detectives say they know the identity of the second man and are continuing to investigate the incidents.
Aware of the other videos showing people falling victim to the drive-by pranks, police are asking other people who may have been assaulted to come forward and speak with them.
Anyone with information can call 215.686.TIPS.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.
Commuters forced to wait in the street while bus stops and shelters are blocked by piles of snow will likely have to wait for the powder to melt as city and SEPTA officials both say the other agency is responsible for the cleanup.
Bus shelters and sidewalks are city property and are maintained by the City's Streets Department, according to Heather Redfern, a SEPTA spokeswoman.
But the City of Philadelphia is only responsible for the sidewalks on city-owned bridges, along with roadways, according to June Cantor, a Streets Department spokeswoman.
"We are not responsible for removing snow from the sidewalk or from the shelters themselves," said Cantor, who added that the Streets Department gives priority to SEPTA bus routes for snow removal.
Titan -- the agency responsible for selling the shelter's ad space -- manages the shelters and should rid them of any snow piles, said Andrew Stober, the chief of staff with the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities.
A Titan representative did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Despite the cleanup confusion, public transportation passengers managed commuting through up to 5 inches of snow Tuesday morning, but many expressed their frustration with the snow-covered walkways on social media.
During the heavy Nor'easter that dumped up to a foot of snow around the region Thursday, SEPTA delayed and suspended bus routes, which left some travelers stranded without midday bus service.
Posts on Instagram and Twitter captured the commuters' frustrations. Below are some of the trials shared by SEPTA travelers on social media.
Tweet your SEPTA bus stop photos to @NBCPhiladelphia
Nine-time Grammy winner John Legend will likely give a lift to graduates of the University of Pennsylvania this spring.
School officials announced Tuesday that Legend will speak at his alma mater's 258th commencement on May 19.
"He provides us all with a striking example of the positive impact that Penn grads have in engaging with their community, beginning remarkably early in their careers," said Penn President Amy Gutmann in a news release.
Legend was known as John Stephens when he attended the Ivy League school. He graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in English and a concentration in African-American literature and culture.
While enrolled, Legend recorded his own albums and served as musical director and president of the University's coed a cappella jazz group, Counterparts.
In 2007 he launched the Show Me Campaign, an organization that works to break the cycle of poverty by providing access to quality education internationally.
The musician released his platinum-selling debut album "Get Lifted'' in 2004. Legend is currently touring the U.S. in support of his recording "Love in the Future.''
He'll receive an honorary doctorate in music at the ceremony.
When asked if Legend will perform at the event, a university spokeswoman replied via email: "Probably not."
Multiple families throughout the region are recovering after heavy snow caused part of their homes to collapse Tuesday.
Crews responded to a home in Hatboro, Montgomery County where a carport caved in around 3 p.m., according to officials.
An 83-year-old man was trapped uner the roof for about 20 minutes before he was rescued, according to investigators. He was taken to Abington Hospital though his injuries don't appear to be life-threatening.
Investigators say that the man likely survived because of the car that was still inside the carport. The car helped brace the roof from falling all the way down, according to officials. It was an early birthday gift for the man who will turn 84-years-old on Wednesday.
Crews also evacuated several families from the 700 block of Seneca Street in Fountain Hill, Lehigh County after three porch roofs collapsed under the weight of the snow, according to reports.
The debris blocked the residents inside their homes, but officials say no one was injured.
Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter announced a major development project the city's about to undertake in a press conference at City Hall Tuesday afternoon.
The announcement confirmed that a luxury hotel will replace Family Court in the 247,000 square-foot building at 1801 Vine St.
Peebles Corporation out of New York and local developers P&A Associates, best known for the Murano Condos and St. James apartments, will work together on the development of the $85 million, 199 room Krimpton Hotel.
The hotel will also feature 16,000 square feet of spa and fitness space, 14,000 square feet of event space as well as a restaurant and bar.
The hotel is expected to give the Philadelphia economy a major boost, creating hundreds of temporary and permanent jobs.
“We are delighted to announce this major economic development project that will create more than 600 construction and permanent jobs in Philadelphia,” said Mayor Nutter. “The addition of a new Kimpton Hotel along the Ben Franklin Parkway will be a great addition to that historic boulevard."
The city is hoping that the development of the new hotel will enhance the Parkway Museum's District.
The Family Division will relocate to a new facility which is under construction at 15th and Arch Streets later this year.
Construction on the hotel is expected to begin in late 2014, early 2015.
How far would you ski to meet an Olympic medalist?
A freshman at University of Pittsburgh, who is originally from Upper Moreland Township, is willing to travel 500 miles to meet Nick Goepper, the slopestyle skier who won bronze in the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.
"My wall at home is covered in Olympic athletes," said 18-year-old Meaghan Farley, who is studying German and global management.
Farley says she enjoys the Winter Games more than the Summer Olympics because the sports are more "extreme."
Farley, who has only skied a few times in her life, says she needed to do something to stand out from the thousands of girls trying to win a date with Goepper.
So she created her own version of The Proclaimers' hit song, I'm Gonna Be, and shot a music video that includes her singing "I'm gonna be the girl who skis right next to you...I know I'm gonna be/ I'm gonna be the one who's on a date with you."
The 19-year-old Olympian took to social media on Feb. 14 in search of his Valentine.
I can't wait to hang out with a beautiful Valentine after the Olympics. Hopefully someone will be able to chill��. pic.twitter.com/tXLE293otT
— Nick Goepper (@NickGoepper) February 14, 2014
The tweet garnered more than 2,000 favorites and a slew of responses
The athlete has yet to choose who will win the "dream date."
But Farley has a chance. After a friend of hers tweeted a link to her video to Goepper, he replied "epic!"
A man was struck and killed by a school bus Tuesday afternoon in Delaware County.
Investigators say the man was walking on Sunnyside and Edgemont Avenues in Chester around 2:30 p.m. when he was struck by a Chester Upland school bus.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police are currently at the scene of the crash investigating.
Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.
Click here for more news from the New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania area.
Southbound lanes reopened on I-476 after a car accident in Delaware County, Tuesday afternoon.
Police say one person was ejected during a crash on I-476 in Radnor Township. Officials have not yet revealed the person’s condition or the cause of the accident.
I-476 Southbound was briefly closed north of the West Chester Pike due to the crash. All lanes reopened around 5:30 p.m.
Stay with NBC10.com for more details on this developing story.
Check here for more news from the Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware area.
A West Chester University freshman has been on a roller coaster ride. Jack Lavery, 18, made the shot of his life during a halftime basketball contest on Saturday. But, the half court shot he made was a second chance shot, and therefore West Chester University officials said he was not eligible to collect the $10,000 contest prize.
It was a pretty disappointing blow for the Horsham native. "After all that celebration, they told me I'm not going to get it," said Lavery.
Pizza Hut to the rescue.
The restaurant chain stepped in today, tweeting directly at Lavery, "We know greatness when we see it." The restaurant offered him $10,000 in cash and free pizza for a year (no strings attached).
"That felt awesome. It just felt like all the hoopla about not getting paid (didn't matter). I’m very humbled that Pizza Hut reached out to me and awarded me this prize," said Lavery with a self-described big smile on his face.
Lavery was sitting at the barbershop when he saw the tweet.
Lavery epitomizes Pizza Hut's #GoForGreatness campaign. "Once we heard about it, it caught all of our attention. That was one that seemed a pretty remarkable feat with a disappointing ending for everybody," said Pizza Hutt spokesman Doug Terfehr. "These are moments that we can all appreciate that are better than an average day."
Hey @JackLavs22, we know greatness when we see it. We have a check for $10K and free pizza for a year for you. What say you? #PayJackLavs
— Pizza Hut (@pizzahut) February 18, 2014
Lavery participated in a halftime contest at the West Chester-Shippensburg basketball game Sunday. The halftime ritual and home game contest calls for the contestant to make four shots in 25 seconds -- a layup, foul shot, 3-point shot and a half court shot. The person selected for the feat is done by a random gametime drawing.
Lavery said he spent no time practicing and found out he was selected to compete during the game.
Wearing black sweatpants, Lavery started off his series of shots with ease. He had no problem making the first three shots. When he attempted the half court shot, he missed. But then he rebounded and threw it back up from half court about a second before the buzzer and made it. The crowd erupted in cheers, as seen on the video. It was a fleeting moment of celebration for the freshman.
The bad news came moments after the cheers. West Chester University officials told Lavery he won't take home the $10,000 prize because he didn't make the first half court shot attempt, details in the fine print in the contract he signed. Athletic director Edward Matejkovic said the rules state all four shots must be made the first time. 
Bill Lavery, Jack's father, said the family felt "let down" and "frustrated" with the university because they made him believe he won after the shot. Bill told his son from the beginning that he'd match the $10,000 prize if he won. Despite the contest hiccup, the older Lavery said he will match Pizza Hut's donation and "keep putting his son through school." (Pictured at right, Bill, Jack and Kellie Lavery).
Lavery has decided to donate $500 to Woody's Circle of Care. He has experience with the non-profit serving as a junior board member. The organization helps area families in need. Despite the fallout after making the miraculous half court shot, the freshman said he remained humbled and learned a lot.
"I learned that it’s best to stay positive throughout the ups and downs and in the end it will always work its way out," he said.
When Pizza Hut heard Lavery's favorite pizza is pepperoni, Terfehr said, "We've got plenty of that."
Contact Sarah Glover at 610-668-5580, sarah.glover@nbcuni.com or follow @skyphoto on Twitter.
It was a homecoming to remember for a young Delaware County boy on Tuesday.
After returning home from a trip to Disney World, 3-year-old Brayden Chandler received a welcome fit for a hero.
In January of 2013, Brayden was diagnosed with a bilateral Wilms Tumor. After battling the disease for over a year, Brayden’s parents were told by doctors that the cancer had relapsed and that there was little more they could do to stop it.
After hearing the news, the young boy and his family were determined to make the most of the time he had left. They went on a trip to Disney World sponsored by the Make a Wish Foundation.
The family returned to Philly International on Tuesday around 4:30 p.m. where they were greeted by motorcycles and police cars. The boy then received a police escort as a limo drove him to his home on Pancoast Road in Springfield Township.
When he finally arrived home, friends and family were there to cheer him on.
“This is an unbelievable event,” said Brayden’s Grandfather Bob Marinelli. “All these police officers from all the different townships came here. The outpouring is unbelievable.”
Police are on the hunt for four men who were caught on camera beating and stabbing a local pawn shop owner.
On February 8, shortly before 4 p.m., four men walked into the 3&1 Variety Store on the 6700 block of Castor Avenue.
After they entered, the men tried to sell the 66-year-old owner a watch, according to investigators. When the owner refused to buy the watch, the four suspects suddenly began to attack him. Police say the man was struck in the head and stabbed several times in the chest and stomach.
Credit: Philadelphia Police
After the men tried to break into a display case, police say the owner managed to chase them out of the store. The men fled the scene and were last seen on Castor Avenue.
The owner was taken to Aria Torresdale Hospital where he was listed in guarded condition.
Police say all four suspects are between the ages of 18 and 20. One man was wearing a red hooded sweatshirt, black pants and black sneakers. Another man was wearing a black puffy coat and possibly red sneakers.
A third suspect was wearing a blue hooded sweatshirt and a fourth suspect was wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt.
If you have an information on their whereabouts, please call Philadelphia Police.
A teenager is in custody after he allegedly brought a loaded gun to school and then tried to flee the scene when police arrived.
Delaware State Police say they received a tip that a 17-year-old student at John Dickinson High School in Wilmington, Delaware was possibly carrying a handgun inside his backpack.
Police say a State Trooper and school staff found the teen inside a first floor classroom while class was in session. The teen was immediately separated from the backpack and escorted into the main hallway, according to investigators.
Investigators say the Trooper secured the backpack, which was located on the seat of the desk where the teen had been sitting. The teen then allegedly fled on foot down the hallway and ran out of the school into a wooded area.
Police say the Trooper found a fully loaded Kel-Tec 9mm Luger semiautomatic handgun with an obliterated serial number inside the teen's bag.
State Troopers and New Castle County Police conducted an extensive search for the teen in the surrounding area. Around 2:35 p.m., Troopers found the teen on Tapley Lane in the Limestone Acres development, according to officials. He was taken into custody without incident.
Police say there was no immediate threat or danger to the safety of the students or staff during the ordeal.
Further investigation and interviews revealed that the teen was a convicted felon and therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm, according to police.
The teen was charged with possession of a firearm, resisting arrest and other related offenses. We have not revealed the teen’s identity because officials have not yet decided whether he will be charged as an adult.
The recent snowy weather pattern has not only caused delays for schools and messy commutes, but also long lines outside Philadelphia's probation department.
A line of people, estimated to be 70 people long, waited in the cold outside the Philadelphia Adult Probation and Parole Department's offices at 1401 Arch Street in Center City on Tuesday.
Photos posted to social media sites like Instagram show the line wrapping out of the office building's lobby and around the block.
"1401 is crazy for this one and it's cold out," Di'Shon Pooler-Evans posted along with a photo of the line.
"It’s unreal. They are all waiting out in lines," said Chuck Bernard, who snapped one of the photos and works in the building. "The line is long every now and again. It’s long today due to the courts being closed."
Those closures, which happened last Thursday and Friday, were ordered after a snow emergency was declared during the nor'easter that dropped almost a foot of snow in the city.
Richard McSorley, Deputy Court Administrator for Philadelphia's Criminal Trial Division, says the probation department along with the city's Pretrial Division, which is also housed in the building, typically stagger appointments, but because of the recent cancellations had everyone show up at once.
"Both units have probationers and those on pretrial release reporting to this building daily," he told NBC10.com. "The lobby of this building cannot handle the large volume and many people showed up in the morning at the same time."
While the line quickly formed, officials were able to reschedule the appointments fairly quickly and get through the line by midday.
"While we regret the delay of getting people into the building it was simply a matter of many people arriving at the same time due to our closures," McSorley said.
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.
The backhoe operator implicated in last summer's deadly building collapse in Philadelphia is facing upgraded charges.
Sean Benschop, a.k.a. Kary Roberts, had six counts of involuntary manslaughter upgraded to charges of third degree murder during a preliminary hearing in the Court of Common Pleas on Tuesday. The man has pled not guilty to the charges.
Benschop, 43, was operating the excavator at the site of a building demolition at 2136 Market Street on the morning of June 5, 2013 when the building's western wall collapsed. The four-story brick wall was free-standing and had not been braced using demolition equipment.
The debris from the wall crushed the one-story Salvation Army Thrift Shop next door, on the corner of 22nd and Market Streets, burying shoppers and store clerks alive. Six people died in the collapse, and 13 others were injured.
The most severely injured person, Mariya Plekan, had both legs amputated at the hips after being pinned beneath the brick, steel and glass debris for more than 12 hours. She spent five months in the hospital.
Benschop was arrested shortly after the collapse and underwent drug and alcohol tests. Police said those tests came up positive for prescription painkiller and marijuana use. The man, however, did have a broken arm, for which he said the painkillers were being used.
He and his family have maintained the man's innocence during the entire ordeal. His attorney, Daine Grey, told NBC10 Philadelphia in September 2013 that he believed evidence would vindicate his client.
Along with the newly upgraded charges, Benschop also still faces 13 counts of reckless endangerment. Should he be found not guilty of the murder charges he could still be found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Benschop was the only man charged in the case for several months, until Griffin T. Campbell, the contractor on the job, was arrested last November.
Campbell, 49, stands charged with six counts of third degree murder, six counts of involuntary manslaughter and 13 counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Several investigations were launched in the wake of the collapse including the convening of a grand jury. The grand jury came back with their findings in November 2013 and along with that presentment, came the charges against Campbell.
Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams said the building was not properly demolished and that those involved ignored safety advice.
He also said additional charges could be brought forward at a later time based on the investigation.
Plato Marinakos, the architect and the expeditor for the construction project at the building, also spoke in court on Tuesday and provided prosecutors with pictures he took with his camera a day before the collapse.
Marinakos, a key witness for prosecutors in their case against Benschop and Campbell, was granted immunity in exchange for his testimony.
“This whole construction site became extraordinarily dangerous very quickly,” said Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Selber. “Plato Marinakos himself didn’t get there until 6 p.m. on the Tuesday evening before the collapse. When he saw the inherent danger, he immediately told Griffin Campbell, who knew anyway.”
Jay Bryan, the father of Anne Bryan, who was killed in the collapse, told NBC10 he hoped the ongoing grand jury investigation would lead to more results.
"We're grateful that it sounds like the investigation is ongoing," Bryan said. "We hope that everyone will be held accountable from bottom to top."
Contact Vince Lattanzio at 610.668.5532, vince.lattanzio@nbcuni.com or follow @VinceLattanzio on Twitter.
