Franconia Township - The official website for the Township of Franconia in Northern Montgomery County

Animal Abandonment Investigation - Sept 15, 2005

Franconia Township Police Department is currently investigating the neglect and abandonment of a puppy. On September 15, 2005, Police were called to the area of the Franconia Township Community Park at 640 Godshall Road for a report of an abandoned dog.

Police learned that a red van pulled into the park, let the dog out of the van, and then drove off. There is no further description or information about the vehicle. The dog is described as a small black puppy, possibly a Labrador mix, with a small bare spot on his back and a red collar. The dog is currently housed at the Police Department.

Police are asking that anyone with information on this crime call the Franconia Township Police Department at 215-723-6777 .

Police Department investigates two burglaries at local businesses - July 11, 2005

Franconia Township Police Department is currently investigating two recent burglaries at local business establishments.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2005, Police were called to Frank and Brother's Pizza, 217 Telford Pike, for a report of an overnight burglary. Police found that an object had been thrown through the window of the business to gain entry, and a damaged register was found on the floor.

Police were also called to Sophie's Pizza, 84 Souderton-Telford Pike, in Franconia on Sunday June 10, 2005, for a report of suspicious activity. Upon investigation, Police found that a cinder block had been used to break the glass out of a window to gain entry into the business. Also located was a damaged cash register on the floor.

Arnaldo Romero Rodriguez, 22, of the 100 block of N. Eighth Street in Allentown waived his preliminary hearing on June 2, 2005 at 1:15 p.m. at Magisterial District Court Judge Kenneth E. Deatelhauser in Souderton, Pennsylvania. Rodriguez is charged with two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person after injuring two co-workers with a handgun on May 6, 2005.

Rodriguez wounded two co-workers, Kenith Flores of Allentown and Carlton Calhoun of Philadelphia, while sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of the MOPAC Incorporated main plant at 249 Allentown Rd in Franconia Township. No date has been set for his hearing at the Montgomery County Courthouse.

Arnaldo Romero Rodriguez, 22, of the 800 block of West Tilghman Street in Allentown was released on his own recognizance today, after being arraigned at Magisterial District Court Judge Kenneth E. Deatelhauser in Souderton, Pennsylvania at 12:20 p.m. Rodriguez is charged with two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person after wounding two co-workers, Kenith Flores of Allentown and Carlton Calhoun of Philadelphia, while sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot of the MOPAC Incorporated main plant at 249 Allentown Rd in Franconia Township on May 6, 2005. Rodriguez is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on June 2, 2005 at 1:15 p.m. at Magisterial District Court Judge Kenneth E. Deatelhauser in Souderton.

The Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor and the Franconia Township Police Department announce that charges have been filed in relation to the May 6, 2005 shooting at MOPAC Incorporated main plant at 249 Allentown Rd in Franconia Township. Arnaldo Romero Rodriguez, 22, of the 800 block of West Tilghman Street in Allentown will be charged with two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person. Charges were filed this morning with Magisterial District Court Judge Kenneth E. Deatelhauser in Souderton.

Kenith Flores of Allentown and Carlton Calhoun of Philadelphia were wounded while sitting in the front seat of a vehicle in the employee lot at the meat packing plant. Both men were treated at trauma hospitals in Philadelphia and were discharged within days of the incident.

FRANCONIA TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT JOINS SAFETY BELT CRACKDOWN WITH SPECIAL EMPHASIS ON PROTECTING PICKUP TRUCK OCCUPANTS - May 23
Aim is to Encourage Pennsylvania Drivers and Passengers to Buckle Up or Pay the Price

As part of a national campaign to increase safety belt use among drivers and passengers, the Franconia Township Police Department joins more than 11,000 law enforcement agencies across the country for the Click It or Ticket safety belt mobilization. Pennsylvania families and businesses with pickup trucks should be especially alert during the enforcement wave as new national data shows safety belt use in pickup trucks is significantly lower than in cars.

The two-week period of increased safety belt enforcement, which ran from May 23 through June 5, was supported by a $26 million advertising campaign, some specifically targeted at pickup truck occupants. Enforcement waves supported by advertising have been credited with helping increase national safety belt use from 61 percent in 1996 to 80 percent in 2004.

NHTSA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will release new national data showing that while more than 80 percent of occupants in cars buckled up, only 70 percent of pickup truck occupants wear safety belts.

“While we know safety belts are proven to reduce the risk of serious injury or death in regular car crashes, the risk reduction is much greater for larger vehicles like pickup trucks and SUVs,” said Corporal Stephen Rinker. “With growing popularity of these types of vehicles, we’re hoping to educate the entire community about safety belt use, especially those with pickup trucks.”

“Click It or Ticket is designed to save lives,” said Phil Haseltine, Executive Director or the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign of the National Safety Council. “This new NHTSA data helps us understand which category of motorists is most at risk, and that is why one focus of law enforcement is on unbelted pickup truck occupants.”

The national ad supporting the Mobilization features vehicles driven in several regions of the country, with unbelted vehicle occupants receiving tickets, and then buckling up. The ad will be seen on networks such as ESPN, ABC, NBC, and cable programming such as Real TV and The Daily Show, as well as other programming most likely viewed by those who are not regular safety belt users.

In conjunction with the advertising campaign, law enforcement officers will intensify enforcement of safety belt and child passenger safety laws by setting up selective enforcements and roving patrols. Safety belt violators and drivers failing to restrain their child passengers will be ticketed.

“We need to deliver a message to the community that if they don’t buckle up to save their lives, they should buckle up to save themselves a ticket,” said Corporal Rinker.

The data on occupant fatalities are drawn from the National Center for Statistics and Analysis Fatal Analysis Reporting System. The data on occupant fatalities are drawn from the 2004 National Occupant Protection Use Survey.

The Click It or Ticket Mobilizations are coordinated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration with support from the Air Bag & Seat Belt Safety Campaign of the National Safety Council, and in conjunction with law enforcement agencies, state highway safety offices, and the National Transportation Safety Board.

Franconia Township residents spotted a bear early this morning in the area of Allentown Road and Creamery Road in Franconia Township. After numerous calls of the bear sighting, Franconia Township Police Department and the Pennsylvania Game Commission located the bear in the area of Indian creek Road and Mill Road in Franconia Township. The Game Commission tranquilized the bear and he was placed into a culvert trap. The 125-pound young male black bear is currently in route to northern Pennsylvania where he will be released safely back into his environment. The Lower Salford Township Police Department assisted with the call.

On Tuesday, May 10, 2005 at 8:24 p.m. police were dispatched to 2-vehicle accident in the area of the 400 block of Morwood Road in Franconia Township.

The driver of a 2000 Jaguar, Peter Workman, 48, of the 600 block of Northfield Lane in Harleysville was traveling on Morwood Road in Franconia Township. He was accompanied in the vehicle by his son Mitchell Workman, 11, of the same address. According to witnesses the Jaguar passed another vehicle traveling in his lane and crossing into oncoming traffic. The vehicle then struck a 1997 Toyota Corolla. The driver of the Toyota was Harley Derstine, 55, of the 2000 block of Shelly Road in Harleysville.

All three people were flown from the accident scene. Peter Workman was taken to the University of Pennsylvania, Mitchell Workman was taken to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Harley Derstine was taken to Hahnemann Hospital. At this time they have all been released from the hospital.

The road was closed for over 2 hours while police, fire, and ambulance personnel worked at the accident scene. Souderton Community Ambulance, Telford Volunteer Fire Company, Telford Volunteer Fire Company Fire Police, and Telford Borough Police Department assisted at the accident scene. This accident is still under investigation.

Two Motor Vehicle Accidents with Injuries - April 22, 2005

Franconia Township Police Department is investigating two motor vehicle accidents that occurred nearly simultaneously on Thursday, April 21 at 3:10 p.m. Both accidents were in the area of Schoolhouse Road between Cassel Road and Forman Road in Franconia Township.

When police arrived on the scene at Schoolhouse Road and Cassel Road they found the first accident to involve one vehicle. Witnesses stated the vehicle, a 1991 Chevrolet S-10 truck, flipped numerous times after the driver lost control of the truck while driving northbound up the steep hill near the 200 block of Schoolhouse Road. The vehicle hit a speed limit sign and a tree while flipping over, then landed upright. The driver, Laura Herbine, 16, from Harleysville had to be extricated from the vehicle. She was transported by ambulance to Grandview Medical Center.

The second accident occurred as a result of traffic congestion problems from the first accident. While a bystander was helping direct traffic as emergency crews were arriving on scene, a 2003 Nissan Pathfinder, driven by Bernard Glas, 56, of Brooklyn, New York, ran a stop sign at Forman Road and Schoolhouse Road and hit a 2003 Dodge Neon head on, which was driven by Jennifer Wilcox, 36, of Harleysville. Wilcox was transported to Grandview Hospital to be treated for head injuries. Lower Salford Township Police Department is currently investigating this accident.

Schoolhouse Road was closed for over an hour while police, fire, and ambulance personnel worked on both accident scenes. Lower Salford Township Police Department, Towamencin Township Police Department, Souderton Community Ambulance, Souderton Fire Company, Harleysville Fire Co. Ambulance, and Harleysville Fire Company Fire Police assisted at the accident scene.

On Thursday, April 21 at 5:45 p.m., police were called to the area of Middle Park Drive and Sherwood Court in Franconia Township for a report of shots fired from an armed subject in a vehicle. It was reported that two males in a vehicle were shooting a gun towards a house on the 200 block of Middle Park Drive. After an investigation, police learned that a 17-year old male was shooting a cap gun out of the window of a car towards the house of a friend. The juvenile stated he was just “messing around”. The juvenile was cited for disorderly conduct for creating public alarm.