Ephrata, PA – Pedestrian Critically Injured in Hit-and-Run on South Reading Road (September 29, 2026)

An 83-year-old woman was critically injured in a hit-and-run crash in Ephrata, Lancaster County, on the evening of September 29, 2026. According to the Ephrata Police Department, the pedestrian was walking in the 100 block of South Reading Road around 7:30 p.m. when she was struck by a pickup truck traveling south.

Police said the woman was struck in the head during the collision. The pickup truck did not stop and left the scene following the crash, continuing south on South Reading Road. She was taken to a hospital by emergency medical personnel and remains in critical condition as of this report.

Investigators believe the vehicle involved may be a dark-colored 2014 to 2018 model pickup truck. The Ephrata Police Department opened an investigation into the crash immediately afterward, canvassing the area for surveillance footage and witnesses who may have seen the vehicle before or after the collision took place.

In an update to the investigation, the police department said it has since identified a person of interest in connection with the incident, though no arrest had been announced as of this report. The investigation remains active and ongoing as detectives continue to gather evidence and interview potential witnesses in the area.

South Reading Road is a heavily traveled roadway through Ephrata Borough that carries both local and regional traffic, including through the evening hours when the crash occurred. The area was dark at the time, and police continue to review evidence gathered from the scene as the investigation proceeds. The borough sits in northern Lancaster County and is served by both Ephrata Borough police and Pennsylvania State Police for major incidents.

A full crash report is available from the Ephrata Police Department. Anyone with information about the crash or the vehicle involved is asked to contact investigators at that department.