Serious Vehicle Crash Following Illegal Montco Car Rally: Cops

ABINGTON, PA — An illegal, pop-up car rally at a local mall in this eastern Montgomery County community caused a disturbance this weekend and ended with one of the participating vehicles fleeing the scene and crashing, causing an occupant to be ejected, according to local police.

The Abington Township Police Department said officers received a call for a large crowd gathering at the lower-level parking lot of the Willow Grove Park Mall on Sunday at around 12:34 a.m., which included about 150 to 200 vehicles.

Some of the attendees drove dangerously during the unauthorized rally, revving engines, skidding tires and being otherwise reckless, police said.

When police arrived at the scene, the participants fled the mall property.

Shortly after the crowd dispersed, police received a call about an accident at Old Welsh Road and Fitzwatertown Roads involving a vehicle that was believed to have fled the scene, according to police.

That vehicle had struck several unattended, parked cars along the street, and came to a rest in the middle of Old Welsh Road with severe damage.

Police said the backseat passenger was ejected from the vehicle and both the driver and front seat passenger had to be extricated from the vehicle by officers and local fire personnel.

The three occupants of the vehicle were taken to Abington Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to the police department.

Police said they believe speed was a contributing factor in the accident.

"Police will be working with our law enforcement partners to investigate this incident to identify those who organized and participated," in the pop-up rally, police said in a news release. "Unsafe events like this will not be tolerated and anyone identified will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Police are looking to identify those involved with the incident at the mall, and they ask anyone with information to contact Abington Police Detective Robert Hill at 267-536-1101 or via email at rhilljr@AbingtonPA.gov.