Wrong-way collision kills 2 on Blue Route

A car traveling the wrong way on the Blue Route early Friday collided with a minivan, killing both drivers and closing the highway for hours, disrupting part of the morning rush hour.

An Oldsmobile Royale driven by a Philadelphia man was southbound in the northbound lanes of I-476 in Marple Township, Delaware County, shortly before 4 a.m., police said, when it plowed into a Chevrolet Venture minivan driven by Paul R. Wallendorf, 62, of Delaware.

Pennsylvania state police identified the driver of the Oldsmobile as Kent Michael Gans, 50, of the city's Tacony section, where he was a member of an amateur pool league.

The cause of the crash was under investigation, and police will perform toxicology tests on Gans' body to to determine whether alcohol may have been a factor.

As they swerved to avoid the crash site, two tractor-trailer trucks also struck the cars in the highway. Those drivers were not injured, police said.

The accident closed northbound lanes for close to three hours as crews worked to clear the road of debris.

The road reopened just before 7 a.m., according to Pennsylvania's Department of Transportation.