Pastor dies after Pennsylvania car crash

Of the many unsettling facts about car accidents is the truism that none of us, no matter what walk of life we come from or profession we practice or economic stratum we belong to, is immune from their dangers.

What brings this sobering truth to mind is the news that a New Jersey pastor died Wednesday, about a week after he was involved in a very serious car accident in Pennsylvania.

The pastor led St. John the Baptist Orthodox Church in Perth Amboy. He was widely considered to be a pillar of his community. He created a Monday-night soup kitchen for needy people in his area and coordinated a project that matched Hurricane Katrina refugees with temporary housing in the Perth Amboy region.

The pastor was traveling near Johnstown, Pennsylvania, last Friday when he was involved in the car accident. Although doctors did their best to help him, his injuries were more than he could overcome and he was pronounced dead on Wednesday. The president of his church said the pastor was “a rock in the church” and “a rock in the community” who will be greatly missed.

As we said at the beginning of this post, it does not matter who you are — we are all at risk for becoming involved in certain kinds of car accidents. There are common-sense safety precaution we can all take, like obeying the speed limit and using our seatbelts, but those things will not protect anyone from distracted, intoxicated or negligent drivers.

Source:  My Central Jersey, “Longtime Perth Amboy religious leader succumbs to injuries from Pennyslvania auto accident,” May 15, 2013