LancasterFire.com & WithTheCommand.com InfoBoard : Accident 11-28-05 Providence Twp.
Lititz man thrown from vehicle in crash, killed

Accident occurs at railroad tunnels on Route 272 in Providence Township.
By JOHN M. HOOBER III, New Era Staff Writer

A Lititz man died Monday night when his sport utility vehicle crashed along Route 272 at the Smithville railroad tunnels in Providence Township, Lancaster state police said.

Howard Anthony Tshudy, 27, of 8 Silver Creek Road, Lititz, was thrown from his 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee and became pinned underneath the vehicle, Trooper Joseph Harper said.

The accident happened at 8:10 p.m. along the southbound lanes of the divided highway, just south of Penny Road.

Heading south, Tshudy lost control as he rounded a left curve at the approach to the tunnels, Harper said.

The Jeep drifted onto the west berm, came back onto the highway and traveled across both southbound lanes before striking a guide rail along the east side of the highway, Harper said.

After striking the rail, the Jeep rotated counterclockwise, rolled over, but came back onto its wheels and ended in an upright position, Harper said.

Tshudy, who was not wearing a seat belt, was thrown when the vehicle rolled over. He suffered massive head injuries, said Lancaster County Deputy Coroner Janice Ballenger, who pronounced him dead at the scene at 10 p.m.

Tshudy was alone in the vehicle. Willow Street firefighters and ambulance crew members responded along with a state police accident-reconstruction team.

Tshudy was he son of Craig and Mary Ann Tshudy. He was single and lived at the family’s home located in Warwick Township just north of the Lititz boundary, his father said.

Tshudy was a Manheim Central High School graduate and worked for a small Lancaster-based construction firm, his father said. He was a fun-loving person who enjoyed playing cards and golf, the father noted.

Tshudy was probably traveling to a friend’s home in southern Lancaster County when the accident happened, the father said.

His death was the 57th traffic fatality in Lancaster County this year, compared to 51 traffic deaths at this time in 2004.