By Dennis Romero
One person was killed and 17 others were injured when a vehicle struck a crowd in Berwick, Pennsylvania, authorities said.
"A vehicle went through a community event," State Trooper Anthony Petroski said Saturday night.
After the crash,
the suspect is believed to have fatally attacked a woman in neighboring Luzerne County, it
added.
"The suspect in both incidents is in custody," the police officer said.
His identity is kept secret.
The police have not revealed the identities of the two people killed or the 17 injured, who were taken to various hospitals in the area.
Geisinger Medical Center in nearby Danville received 13 patients by mid-afternoon, spokeswoman Natalie Buyny said by email.
The conditions of the injured were not detailed.
"Staff are screening and triaging patients so they get the right care," Buyny said.
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NBC affiliate station WBRE in the city of Wilkes-Barre reported that a vehicle struck several people attending a benefit in the Berwick district.
People had gathered to raise funds for the families of the three children and seven adults who died in a house fire on August 5 in the neighboring town of Nescopeck.
Shortly after the accident, state police received a call about a man physically assaulting a woman in Nescopek, where he was detained by municipal police, Petroski said.
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Saturday's event was held in the Toxicology Department's bar and restaurant.
People had also gathered in an outdoor space, where several vendors and a basket raffle were set up.
There was also a water balloon fight and there was a water tank to dive into, according to the bar's social media.
"We can never replace these people who are lost, but we can do the best we can" to support the family, bar owner Lauren Hess told WBRE at Saturday's benefit.
On Saturday, the bar posted on Facebook that it would be closed until further notice.
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"Today was an absolute tragedy," the post read.
"Please respect our privacy as we grieve and try to process the events that occurred."
The investigation into the August 5 fire is ongoing, with the Pennsylvania State Police calling the case a "complex criminal investigation," WBRE reported.
The fire broke out before 3 a.m. and rescuers reported flames that repelled their efforts to enter the two-story house and perform rescues, authorities said later that day.
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The home was burned to the ground and remains were discovered as authorities sifted through the rubble.
Among those killed were seven adults between the ages of 19 and 79, two boys ages 5 and 6 and a 7-year-old girl, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
Asked if the suspect in Saturday's incidents was also a possible suspect in the Nescopeck fire, Petroski said: "At this time he is not a suspect in that incident."
Nescopeck is a township of more than 1,600 people located about 48 miles southwest of Scranton.
