One person was killed and 17 others were injured when a vehicle plowed into a crowd gathered at a Pennsylvania bar for a fundraiser for the victims of a house fire that killed 10 earlier this month. the man police say was the driver was arrested a short time later in the beating death of his mother nearby. The crash occurred at approximately 6:15 p.m. on Saturday outside the bar of the Department of Toxicology in Berwick, which was scheduled to hold an all-day fundraiser to benefit the victims of the Aug. 5 fire that killed seven adults and three children in Nescopeck. Pennsylvania State Police identified the driver as 24-year-old Adrian Oswaldo Sura Reyes of Nescopeck. He was arraigned early Sunday morning on two counts of criminal homicide. Shortly after the crash was reported, troopers were called about a man “physically assaulting” a woman less than a mile away in Nescopeck. The soldiers arrived to find that Sura Reyes had been arrested by the local police and a woman was dead. Luzerne County Coroner Francis Hacken confirmed Sunday that the victim, Rosa D. Reyes, 56, of Nescopeck — dead from multiple blunt force injuries after being struck by a vehicle and then attacked with a hammer — was suspect Sura’s mother Reyes. Geisinger Medical Center said it received 15 patients after the crash, and five remained in critical condition while three were in good condition, a hospital spokesman said Sunday morning. Seven patients were treated at hospitals and released. Trooper Anthony Petroski III told reporters at a midnight news conference that Shura Reiss was not currently a suspect in the fire, the cause of which remains under investigation. “This is a complete tragedy in a community where tragedy has already happened,” Petroski said. “We will do our job to the best of our ability to conduct a thorough investigation not only for the families but also for the members of the community. They’re already hurting.” Sura Reyes was denied bail and remained in the Columbia County Jail pending an Aug. 29 preliminary hearing. The Wilkes-Barre papers reported that he said only “I’m sorry” in response to reporters’ questions as he was led away from the Shickshinny Police Department. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney available to comment on his behalf. The first funerals for the victims of the fire were held on Friday, with others scheduled for Sunday and Monday. The bar called the events “an absolute tragedy” and said on its Facebook page that it would remain closed until further notice and would like privacy “while we grieve, add try to process the events that have occurred.” The Morning Update and Afternoon Update newsletters are written by Globe editors, giving you a concise summary of the day’s most important headlines. Sign up today.
