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Susan Irene Henderson

Age : 67

Gender : Female

Race : White

Date : 08/27/2024

Location : 4100 block of Hecktown Road

City : Lower Nazareth Township

County : Northampton

State : Pennsylvania

Agency : Colonial Regional Police Department

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Vehicle

Event : Bystander killed by police chase crash

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/27/2024, at approximately 10:30 a.m., Susan I. Henderson, 67, of Norristown was killed in a head-on collision on Hecktown Road in Lower Nazareth Township during a high-speed pursuit by a Colonial Regional Police Department officer.
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The pursuit began over an expired Pennsylvania vehicle inspection sticker. A Colonial Regional police officer traveling in a marked patrol vehicle on Route 191 noticed the expired inspection sticker on a 2018 Mercedes-Benz driven by Daneiris Abreu, 27, of the Bronx. After the Mercedes turned onto Hecktown Road, the officer activated the patrol vehicle's emergency lights and siren and attempted to stop it.
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Abreu continued driving away while the officer pursued him on Hecktown Road. Court records showed that the pursuing officer reached approximately 80 mph before the Mercedes pulled farther ahead. The officer eventually lost sight of the Mercedes but continued traveling in the same direction.
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Near 4170 Hecktown Road, Abreu lost control of the Mercedes, crossed into the opposing lane and crashed head-on into Henderson's 2017 Kia Sportage. The pursuing officer arrived at the wreckage shortly afterward.
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Henderson was transported to St. Luke's Hospital-Anderson, where she was pronounced dead. The Northampton County Coroner determined that she died from multiple blunt-force injuries and classified the manner of death as homicide. Abreu's passenger suffered burns to his legs and other injuries and was admitted to intensive care.
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Police arrested Abreu and charged him with homicide by vehicle, aggravated assault by vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude police, involuntary manslaughter and additional offenses. Court records indicated that Abreu was driving with a suspended license.
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Henderson was an aide for the Methacton School District, where she worked with special-needs students. She was a grandmother of seven and had taken the day off from work that morning to help with her youngest granddaughter's first day of kindergarten. She was reportedly on her way to pick up her granddaughter when she was killed.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
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The Colonial Regional Police Department did not publicly identify the officer who initiated and conducted the high-speed pursuit preceding Henderson's death.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/nazareth-northampton/deadly-hecktown-road-crash-occurred-during-high-speed-police-chase-state-police-say
https://patch.com/pennsylvania/lowerprovidence/montco-woman-popular-school-aide-killed-amidst-police-pursuit
https://www.lehighvalleynews.com/nazareth-northampton/67-year-old-woman-dies-in-head-on-crash-with-speeding-mercedes-state-police-say
https://6abc.com/post/susan-henderson-crash-death-methacton-school-daneiris-abreu/15245046/
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/susan-henderson-nazareth-pa-fatal-crash/