Cops probe fatal crash

By Dennis J. Wright
For The Times Herald
Published: Tuesday, February 16, 2010

ROYERSFORD — More than 100 students and other community members gathered at Spring-Ford High School Monday evening for a candlelight vigil to mourn fallen classmate Matthew Wesolowski, who was killed in a two-vehicle accident Sunday afternoon.

The students braved Monday's snowfall to remember Wesolowski and share stories about his life.

Wesolowski, a junior at Spring-Ford High School, and Jodie Morales, 32, of Souderton, were killed, while two others — including another Spring-Ford student — were seriously injured in Sunday's accident along Game Farm Road in Lower Frederick.

Wesolowski, 17, of Limerick, and Morales were pronounced dead at the scene from injuries sustained in the crash, according to Pennsylvania State Police in Skippack.

Spring-Ford sophomore Nate Trimble, 17, of Limerick, who was a passenger in Wesolowski's vehicle, and the driver of the other vehicle, Angel Morales, 34, of Souderton, were transported to local hospitals for treatment of serious injuries.

According to police, the accident occurred along the 100 block of Game Farm Road, just east of Mine Run Road around 2:30 p.m. Sunday.

Police said a black 2008 Hyundai Tiburon, driven by Wesolowski, was traveling eastbound on Game Farm Road. At the same time, a gray 2004 BMW, driven by Angel Morales, was traveling westbound.

Police said Wesolowski lost control of his vehicle and traveled into the westbound lane, causing a head-on collision with the BMW. Upon impact, the Tiburon was pushed up against a snow embankment.

Emergency personnel and rescue workers arrived on the scene and had to free all four individuals from the vehicles.

A witness on the scene said the road conditions looked dry, but there was nowhere to pull over along the roadway due to snowbanks on both sides of the road.

According to state police, the accident is still under investigation.

Wesolowski was featured in an October 2007 story in The Pottstown Mercury, a sister paper to the Times Herald, when he was presented with a "mission flag" by two Air Force veterans of the Iraq War at Limerick Community Park.

Bud Evans and Ken Urbach, members of the U.S. Air Force's 438th Air Expeditionary Group, presented Wesolowski — who suffered from Chron's Disease and was then just 14 — with a flag that was flown onboard an A-10 Thunderbolt jet above the Al-Asad Air Base in Iraq.

It's called a mission flag because it was carried on the plane during a recovery mission, which provides "air to ground support" for forces by scouting and patrolling for trouble, Urbach said at the time.

"You are the embodiment of unrelenting resolve and heart," Evans said before giving Matthew a certificate and the U.S. flag back in October 2007. A surprised Matthew said to the men, "Thank you everybody."

The men had promised to dedicate the next mission to Matthew after learning of his illness. While stationed in Iraq, the servicemen discovered they both personally knew the boy, a student then at Spring-Ford Area Senior High School' 9th Grade Center. Evans previously coached Matthew in a youth ice hockey league. Urbach lives next door to Matthew's father, Mark.

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