Lambertville Firefighter Killed In Rt. 29 Crash

Two people, including a Lambertville firefighter, were killed in a crash Monday afternoon that closed a portion of Rt. 29 in Hopewell Township. The crash happened shortly before 1 p.m. near the flea market and Valley Road.

"Rescue 17 responded to this call unknowing that it involved one of our own until hours later," Lambertville Fire Department said in a post via Facebook announcing the death of 58-year-old Mark Leary Sr. (See full post below)

According to Hopewell Township police, the crash involved a dump truck and a Ford Crown Victoria. After the vehicles collided, they both hit a utility pole and caught fire. The driver and the passenger in the Crown Victoria were both killed in the accident. The other victim has not been identified.

The truck driver, 59-year-old James Bilton of Edgewater Park, wasn't seriously injured, police said.

Police were called to the scene at 12:54 p.m. According to authorities, Bilton was driving north on Route 29 and the Crown Victoria was traveling south. The vehicles collided in the southbound lane. The cause of the collision was not immediately known.

The first officer on scene used a Stat-X fire suppression device and multiple fire extinguishers in an attempt to extinguish the fire. In addition to the Lambertville Fire Department, Union Fire Company and Hopewell Valley Emergency Services responded to the scene and extinguished the fire.

Route 29 in the area of the crash scene remained closed to traffic Monday evening and traffic was detoured. Additionally, JCP&L personnel were on the scene for repairs to damaged utility poles. Sections of Titusville are without power due to this collision.

The crash is being investigated by Officer Christopher Vaccarino, Detective Louis Vastola, and the Mercer County Prosecutor's Office Serious Collision Response Team.

Anyone who witnessed this crash is asked to contact Detective Louis Vastola at 609-737-3100 ext. 5320.

The following images from the scene were shared by FOX29: