Driver dies after striking deer on Pennsylvania Turnpike near Willow Grove

By
Updated  October 7, 2025 2:14pm EDT
FOX 29 Philadelphia
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The Brief

    • The driver of a Ford Mustang was killed after police say a deer struck their car and sent it spinning out of control.
    • Ronald Knopman, 58, was later identified as the driver of the Ford Mustang.
    • The accident caused an hours long traffic backup that stretched into the overnight hours.

WILLOW GROVE, Pa. - A driver is dead after police say a deer struck a vehicle on Interstate 276 near Willow Grove on Monday night.

What we know:

Investigators say the deadly accident happened when 58-year-old Ronald Knopman was driving a Ford Mustang east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike around 7 p.m.

As Knopman was driving in the left lane between the Willow Grove and Bensalem exits, police say a deer struck his vehicle and sent it spinning out of control.

The Mustang spun counterclockwise and crashed into the concrete center barrier four different times before the car finally came to a stop, authorities said. 

Knopman, an Ambler resident, suffered fatal injuries in the violent crash.

Montgomery CountyNews