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The fall happened when Tucker Wessner of Heidelberg Township, Germansville, was in the flatbed or tailgate with a 17-year-old boy with an 18-year-old man in the passenger seat and a 17-year-old boy was driving the 2011 Toyota Tundra in Lynn Township on June 24, PSP Trooper Nathan Branosky detailed in the release.
As the Tundra turned off of Leaser Road onto Follweiler Court, Tucker "fell out of the truck and struck the ground," Branosky stated in the release. The fall happened at 7:10 p.m., Coroner Daniel A. Buglio explained in a separate release on Friday morning, July 19.
The young man and two boys gave him medical assistance until Cetronia Ambulance arrived to take him to Lehigh Valley Hospital Cedar Crest, according to PSP.
Tucker was pronounced dead at 11:42 p.m. on Tuesday, July 16, 2024, the coroner explained.
His family had been chronicling his status on Facebook, explaining that he had a traumatic brain injury, and then a blood clot traveled to his lung.
An autopsy was completed on Thursday, July 18, 2024, but the official cause and manner of death are pending further investigation, Buglio stated in his release.
This crash remains under investigation by PSP Fogelsville Patrol Unit with the assistance of PSP Troop M Forensic Services Unit, Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office, Lehigh County Coroners Office, and Cetronia Ambulance.
Anyone who may have witnessed this crash or observed the vehicles before this crash is asked to contact PSP Fogelsville at (610) 395 – 1438 and reference Incident Number PA24-935379.
Tucker was preparing to start his junior year at Northwestern Lehigh High School in New Tripoli where he played football in jersey number 53 on both the JV and Varsity teams; he also was attending the Lehigh Career and Technical Institute in Schnecksville, studying Precision Machining, as detailed in his obituary.
Besides football Tucker was a dedicated member of the Boy Scouts of America who was working to become an Eagle Scout after having joined the program in first grade, his family wrote in his obituary.
"Tucker was a member of Jacob’s Church in New Tripoli, Ontelaunee Rod & Gun Club in New Tripoli, and County Line 4x4 Roughriders out of Kutztown. He worked part-time this summer at his family’s business, JM Dirtworx LLC Excavating in New Tripoli," as stated in his obituary.
He is survived by his parents, three sisters, and extended family, according to his obituary.
Services will be held at Jacob’s Church, 8373 Kings Highway New Tripoli with visitation beginning at 9 a.m. followed by Tucker’s funeral at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, July 23.
Instead of flowers, you can make donations in his name to his Boy Scouts Troop 89, sending funds to P.O. Box 30 New Tripoli, PA 18066, or to Jacob’s Church.
Additional ways to help the Wessner family are listed by the school's booster club in the Facebook post below:
Click here to read his full obituary.
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