Pottstown Mercury, May 23, 1977 — inset portrait captioned "Sgt. A. Wesley Faust"View transcription
Sgt. Wesley Faust Stricken on Duty
Sgt. A. Wesley Faust, a seven year veteran of the New Hanover police department, was stricken with a fatal heart attack Sunday afternoon while assisting Limerick Township police at the scene of a three-car accident on Swamp Pike.
Mr. Faust, 54, Evans Road, Perkiomenville, died in the emergency ward of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center less than an hour after he was stricken.
Limerick Township Patrolman Douglas Milligan said he didn't even realize Mr. Faust was stricken until someone hollared, "A policeman is down."
Milligan said he answered the call of a three car chain reaction collision on Swamp Pike and Fruitville Road at 2:27 p.m.
"As I was enroute to the scene, Wes contacted me on car-to-car radio and asked if I wanted some help," Milligan recounted. "We've known each other a long time. We always help out each other on police work. I said I'd meet him at the scene."
Milligan said he didn't really know when Mr. Faust arrived.
"I was talking to one of the drivers involved in the accident when I heard someone yell about a policeman being down," he said. "I ran over and saw Wes lying on the ground."
The ambulance was not at the scene, so Milligan performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation on Mr. Faust until the Goodwill Ambulance arrived.
"They continued administering the emergency treatment," he said. "Wes was responding to it. Then they hooked him up with oxygen and took him away. He died a little while later and it really hurt me."
According to witnesses, Mr. Faust walked up to one of the drivers in the accident, turned around and suddenly keeled over. Ironically, last week a New Hanover Township supervisor attacked the police department's policy of assisting neighboring township policemen at accidents and crimes.
One person, Alverta Gerhart, 57, Collegeville, was admitted to Pottstown Memorial Medical Center with a fractured leg suffered in the three car collision. There were no other injuries reported in the accident.
The news of Sgt. Faust's death came as a shock to his superiors and co-workers.
Patrolman Dennis Zielinski, New Hanover Township, was the first on the force to learn of the tragedy.
"It was really rough to hear," he said. "Wes relieved me earlier in the day and he seemed to be fine. We are all so close around here that the shock of it has affected us all."
The most Police Chief Lloyd Kline could say was how sorry he was, and praise the quality work he came to expect from Mr. Faust.
"Wes was really a fine man and a great public servant," said Township Manager Anita John. "He was a family man. The kids around here really cared for him, they called him Wes."
Mr. Faust started with the New Hanover police department in a part-time capacity in 1970. He was promoted to sergeant in 1973.
Surviving is his widow, Edith (Hilbmann); two daughters, Lillian, wife of Delmar Kern, Main Street, Bechtelsville and Deborah, wife of Glenn Fisher, Main Street, Bechtelsville; a son, Wesley, Messa Ariz.; a sister, Mrs. Lillian Unruh, Marlton, N.J. and six grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. The L.W. Ott Funeral Home, Boyertown, is in charge of arrangements.
(Continued on Page 3)
[Inset portrait captioned: Sgt. A. Wesley Faust]
Sgt. A. Wesley Faust, a seven year veteran of the New Hanover police department, was stricken with a fatal heart attack Sunday afternoon while assisting Limerick Township police at the scene of a three-car accident on Swamp Pike.
Mr. Faust, 54, Evans Road, Perkiomenville, died in the emergency ward of Pottstown Memorial Medical Center less than an hour after he was stricken.
Limerick Township Patrolman Douglas Milligan said he didn't even realize Mr. Faust was stricken until someone hollared [sic], "A policeman is down."
Milligan said he answered the call of a three car chain reaction collision on Swamp Pike and Fruitville Road at 2:27 p.m.
"As I was enroute to the scene, Wes contacted me on car-to-car radio and asked if I wanted some help," Milligan recounted. "We've known each other a long time. We always help out each other on police work. I said I'd meet him at the scene."
Milligan said he didn't really know when Mr. Faust arrived.
"I was talking to one of the drivers involved in the accident when I heard someone yell about a policeman being down," he said. "I ran over and saw Wes lying on the ground."
The ambulance was not at the scene, so Milligan performed cardio pulmonary resuscitation on Mr. Faust until the Goodwill Ambulance arrived.
"They continued administering the emergency treatment," he said. "Wes was responding to it. Then they hooked him up with oxygen and took him away. He died a little while later and it really hurt me."
According to witnesses, Mr. Faust walked up to one of the drivers in the accident, turned around and suddenly keeled over. Ironically, last week a New Hanover Township supervisor attacked the police department's policy of assisting neighboring township policemen at accidents and crimes.
One person, Alverta Gerhart, 57, Collegeville, was admitted to Pottstown Memorial Medical Center with a fractured leg suffered in the three car collision. There were no other injuries reported in the accident.
The news of Sgt. Faust's death came as a shock to his superiors and co-workers.
Patrolman Dennis Zielinski, New Hanover Township, was the first on the force to learn of the tragedy.
"It was really rough to hear," he said. "Wes relieved me earlier in the day and he seemed to be fine. We are all so close around here that the shock of it has affected us all."
The most Police Chief Lloyd Kline could say was how sorry he was, and praise the quality work he came to expect from Mr. Faust.
"Wes was really a fine man and a great public servant," said Township Manager Anita John. "He was a family man. The kids around here really cared for him, they called him Wes."
Mr. Faust started with the New Hanover police department in a part-time capacity in 1970. He was promoted to sergeant in 1973.
Surviving is his widow, Edith (Hilbmann); two daughters, Lillian, wife of Delmar Kern, Main Street, Bechtelsville and Deborah, wife of Glenn Fisher, Main Street, Bechtelsville; a son, Wesley, Messa [sic] Ariz.; a sister, Mrs. Lillian Unruh, Marlton, N.J. and six grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. The L.W. Ott Funeral Home, Boyertown, is in charge of arrangements.
Pottstown Mercury, May 23, 1977 — continuedView transcription
(Continued from Page One)
Surviving is his widow, Edith (Hilbmann); two daughters, Lillian, wife of Delmar Kern, Main Street, Bechtelsville and Deborah, wife of Glenn Fisher, Main Street, Bechtelsville; a son, Wesley, Messa Ariz.; a sister, Mrs. Lillian Unruh, Marlton, N.J. and six grandchildren.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete. The L.W. Ott Funeral Home, Boyertown, is in charge of arrangements. [Remainder of article; see awesleyfaust-pottstownmercury-052377-01.jpg for the full assembled text.]
Pottstown Mercury, May 23, 1977 — continuation column detailView transcription
[Readability crop of the continuation of "Sgt. Wesley Faust Stricken on Duty"; full text carried on awesleyfaust-pottstownmercury-052377-01.jpg.]
Pottstown Mercury, May 23, 1977 — continuation column detailView transcription
[Readability crop of the continuation of "Sgt. Wesley Faust Stricken on Duty"; full text carried on awesleyfaust-pottstownmercury-052377-01.jpg.]
