Royersford Woman Arrested on Suspicion of DUI After 422 Crash

Original reporting by Brittany Tressler

Charges of DUI are pending against a Royersford woman who struck the center median guide wire while traveling eastbound on U.S. Route 422 around just after 10 p.m. on Saturday, according to the Pennsylvania State Police, marking the third crash on the highway in 12 hours.

Linda Straface, 53, was traveling near mile marker 180 on 422 when she allegedly drove off the left side of the highway and struck the center median guide wire, police said. Her vehicle was towed from the scene, but no one was injured.

Straface allegedly showed signs of intoxication and was arrested on suspicion of DUI, according to police.

This crash marked the third on the highway in 12 hours, one of which was fatal and closed the westbound lane of 422 for more than four hours.

Around 11:30 a.m., a vehicle traveling westbound on 422 near the South Pleasant View Road overpass in Lower Pottsgrove Township flipped several times, ejecting a female passenger, Ruth J. Watkins.  Watkins died at the Reading Trauma Center.

According to officials, early indications were that a problem with at least one tire on the vehicle caused the crash.

Roughly ten minutes later, another crash occurred in the westbound lane of 422 in Limerick Township; Joseph Sullivan, 35, of Pottsown, allegedly became distracted while driving and was unable to stop in time for the slowing traffic ahead and crashed into the back of a Dodge Avenger driven by a 62-year-old Malvern woman.

Both drivers suffered minor injures and were taken to local hospitals; Sullivan was cited for reckless driving.

While none of the Saturday crashes have been directly linked to speeding, Patch readers expressed concern over the dangers of Route 422.