Devon Hargraves,Gershad Andre Obituary, Death; – Authorities have identified three individuals who lost their lives inside a vehicle that crashed after a police pursuit in Chester County on Friday.
The deceased have been named as 35-year-old Devon Hargraves, 33-year-old Gershad Andre, and 36-year-old Larry Wilmer, all of whom were residents of Wilmington, Delaware.
According to Pennsylvania state police, troopers from the Avondale station attempted to halt the vehicle around 1:30 a.m. after observing the driver committing several traffic violations near East 3rd Street and Garner Drive.
The driver allegedly refused to comply, prompting the troopers to initiate a pursuit. Shortly thereafter, the driver crashed along Route 41 in New Garden Township.
The vehicle came to a stop against a tree, resulting in stripped bark and significant damage to the car. Fortunately, no troopers sustained injuries.
Several neighbors reported hearing the chase moments before the crash. Carl Coleman stated that he witnessed the pursuit as it passed through his neighborhood.
“Essentially, I was on my porch and saw the police chasing this car at a high rate of speed coming through here, so I rushed outside onto my back porch. I live right here and witnessed everything,” he remarked. “I was completely in shock and immediately began recording.”
Coleman mentioned that the noise had awakened him from his sleep.
“I was preparing to go to bed when I heard all this screeching and loud sirens, so I rushed outside and saw a police chase, and I started recording on my phone.”
Coleman expressed his hope that others would learn from this incident.
“I advise anyone that if the police are behind you, just pull over. It’s not worth it.”
He noted that the chase was particularly shocking given the typically peaceful nature of the area.
“It’s Avondale. It’s very quiet, not very large, really small, and you generally don’t see anything like this around here. It is truly quiet.”
Other residents shared similar sentiments regarding the severity of the crash.
“That’s terrible. It’s horrible. Something that could have been prevented,” remarked Annie Taylor of New Garden Township.
Residents indicated that the crash has unsettled the community.
“We don’t usually experience this type of incident around here. It’s quite alarming.”
