Officials have released details of a fatal crash on Christmas Day in Pocono Township.

At 1:30 a.m. Dec. 25, members of the Pocono Township Police Department responded to the scene on Lower Swiftwater Road for a crash with entrapment.

Officers discovered a blue Ford Explorer lying off the roadway on its roof. One of the passengers, Jobanni Peralta, 49, of New York, had managed to extricate himself and told the officers that three other people remained inside the vehicle.

Officers were able to extricate the driver, Luis Mercado, 33, of New York, and his minor child, age 2. The child appeared uninjured and was removed from his child car seat.

The fourth passenger, Ana Abreu, 33, also of New York, was extricated with assistance from the personnel of the Pocono Township Volunteer Fire Department. Abreu had trauma to the head and was transported by ambulance to Lehigh Valley Hospital - Pocono.

Abreu succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead at LVPMC at 2:50 a.m.

Officers at the scene noticed a gas propane-like smell. The sound of the leaking gas could be heard from the roadway. The road itself suffered considerable damage as a large hole with sizable debris consistent with pavement, dirt, and stone was observed in the east bound lane.

Employees of the UGI utility company arrived on scene and were able to turn the gas off and repair the damage, and no further threat remains.

This matter is currently being investigated by the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Coroner of Monroe County, and the Pocono Township Police Department. An investigation is also being carried out by the Pennsylvania Utilities Commission.

More information will be forthcoming as it becomes available.

Anyone with information is urged to contact Detective Tom McMahon of the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office at 570-517-3025.