Medical condition cause of death for Oley driver involved in fatal Fleetwood crash

An Oley driver was observed passing out just before his vehicle swerved off Richmond Street and struck a tree in Fleetwood Friday morning.

Hector Perez, 61, Oley, was traveling southbound on South Richmond Street when his passenger, Brian Strawhacker, 40, Boyertown, saw Perez passing out just before the vehicle left the roadway and struck a large tree in the front yard of a residence, according to a police report.

Fleetwood Police Chief Steve Stinsky said that officers responded to the vehicle accident on Richmond Street at Cedar at 10:20 a.m.

Stinsky told The Patriot that the driver experienced a medical condition and then drove into a tree.

According to the police report, airbags deployed and the passenger, Strawhacker, was not injured. Mechanical assistance was required to open the driver side door to remove the driver from the vehicle.

Police, fire and EMS personnel were on scene within minutes and began providing care immediately to Perez, according to police. Perez failed to respond to lifesaving measures and was declared deceased at the scene by a Berks County coroner.

Initial indications are that the driver’s death resulted from medical conditions unrelated to the crash, according to the police report. The Berks County Coroner’s Office continues investigation.

No structural damage was reported to property and there was no indication of tree instability.