Background: The Columbia Borough, Pa., intersection where authorities say the victims were struck (WGAL/YouTube). Inset: Eric Lutz, Donna Lutz and two dogs (Hinkle’s Restaurant).
A Pennsylvania couple walking their granddaughter home after a family lunch were only steps from their house when a pickup truck struck them, killing both grandparents, according to authorities and relatives.
The Columbia Borough Police Department confirmed the married couple died after the crash. Family and community members later identified the victims as Eric Lutz, 74, and Donna Lutz, 71.
The crash happened around 11:45 a.m. Sunday in Columbia Borough, a Lancaster County community in south-central Pennsylvania located about 85 miles west of Philadelphia.
Relatives said the grandparents had just finished lunch with their children and grandchildren and were walking near the intersection of 3rd and Chestnut streets, within sight of their home.
As the three crossed the street, police said they were hit by a Dodge Ram pickup. Family members have suggested the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed.
“This pickup truck comes flying around the corner and just smacks right into them,” Eric Lutz’s brother, identified only as Kevin, told regional NBC affiliate WGAL. “They got mowed down in broad daylight… It’s hard for me to fathom that someone couldn’t see them crossing the street.”
Eric Lutz, Donna Lutz and their granddaughter were taken to a local hospital, where the couple were pronounced dead. Their young granddaughter was reportedly flown to Penn State Health Children’s Hospital with a fractured skull and a brain bleed, but she is expected to recover.
“The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating,” the police department said. Officers have not yet announced any charges or the name of the Dodge driver.
The family was eating at Hinkle’s Restaurant in Columbia Borough, according to the establishment, which posted a tribute to the couple, saying the Lutzes were “longtime, loyal members.”
“They were familiar faces in our restaurant for many years and, heartbreakingly, had visited us just the morning of their passing,” Hinkle’s Restaurant posted on social media. “Our entire staff is mourning this tremendous loss. We will deeply miss seeing Eric and Donna walk through our doors and are grateful for the many memories and moments they shared with us over the years.”
Eric Lutz’s brother said the couple was married for 52 years, adding, “In a weird kind of way, I was glad they died together. … And they died together right here, right in front of their house.”
The post ‘Mowed down in broad daylight’: Grandparents walking home from lunch smacked into by Dodge Ram pickup ‘flying’ around corner, police and family say first appeared on Law & Crime.
