Michael Grant Gerhart, 35, of Brooklyn, New York, and formerly of Lebanon County, was the man struck and killed in Tilden Township, the Berks County Coroner’s Office announced on Monday, April 20.
The crash happened in the eastbound lanes near mile marker 27.3 between the Shartlesville and Hamburg exits around 10:20 p.m. on Friday, April 17, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Investigators determined Gerhart had been traveling westbound on I-78 when, for unknown reasons, he exited his vehicle and attempted to cross the highway, the coroner said. While crossing the eastbound lanes, he was struck by an SUV.
He suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. His cause of death was blunt force trauma, and the manner of death remains pending further investigation.
The driver, Tina L. Parker, 62, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and her passenger, Cheryl R. Peede, 64, of Elon, North Carolina, were not injured in the crash, state police said.
Pennsylvania State Police from the Hamburg station and the Hamburg Fire Department assisted at the scene.
Details about Gerhart’s life were not immediately available. His loved ones are invited to share information with Daily Voice by emailing [email protected].
This is the second of two fatal pedestrian strikes in Berks County on I-78 in a week. Click here to read about the first.
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