New Wilmington firefighter responds to fatal crash, discovers dad

Staff report

NEW WILMINGTON, PA.

A firefighter who responded to a fatal car accident was led away by police because it was his own father in the car.

Dick Wilson, chief of the New Wilmington Fire Department, said Harry McEwen, 84, of Neshannock Township had hit a guard rail, a ditch and a tree on state Route 158 just south of New Wilmington at 10 a.m. Wednesday.

Wilson said he does not know what caused the accident.

State police are investigating.

Brad McEwen, second assistant chief in the department, is Harry McEwen’s son.

Harry McEwen was on his way to a relative’s funeral at a funeral home in New Wilmington, Wilson said.

“It’s hard on all of us down here,” Wilson said Wednesday evening.

“Brad talked about him quite a bit,” the chief said.