I-78 Crash Victim Was Penn State Student, Hockey Player In Lehigh Valley
One of the victims was 20-year-old August "Gus" Schwartz, of South Whitehall Township, the county coroner's office confirmed Thursday.
The Penn State student was on his way home to the Lehigh Valley for the holidays and was only an hour away when he was involved in the first collision around 8:30 p.m. in Tilden Township, according to a GoFundMe in his name.
A pile-up was caused by a school bus driver who did not slow down in a construction zone. According to state police, Schwartz's Chevrolet Cruze became lodged underneath the bus.
Nearly $55,000 had been raised on the fundraiser as of Friday afternoon.
Schwartz graduated from Parkland High School in Allentown and was a former Lehigh Valley Phantoms youth hockey player.
"Gus was and will always be the prime example of what a Parkland Ice Hockey player should be," the school's hockey club said on Facebook.
"His smile showed how much he loved the game of hockey. His hard work and respect for the game made him a great teammate and a pleasure to coach. He was known on the ice as "Gus the Bus" for his style of play."
The Phantoms team also took to Facebook, calling him "one of the smartest, hardest-working players."
"Gus" leaves behind many loved ones, including his mom, Jodi, and sisters, Lara and Natalie, the fundraiser says.
"Jodi would never ask for anything, but we know that many want to do something."
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