National

Body falls out of coroner's van onto busy road

Motorists in Pennsylvania were witnesses to a bizarre incident Friday afternoon.

The Associated Press reports that the door on a coroner's van malfunctioned and opened while the vehicle was transporting a body. The gurney, with the body on it, rolled out onto the road.

https://twitter.com/NBCPhiladelphia/status/488424391798452224


The incident took place near a shopping mall in Feasterville.  Cars drove around the body, which appeared to be wrapped in a white sheet. The Bucks County Coroner's Office claims the driver realized quickly that the door had malfunctioned and the body was recovered within minutes.

One witness thought initially that the incident was a prank.

According to The Bucks County Courier Times, the body was that of a young woman who had died of an apparent drug overdose. The family was notified of the incident.  The Coroner's Office released a statement indicating that they "deeply regret" the accident, which they blame on an older transport vehicle that will soon be replaced.