Police officers on Monday investigate Sunday's fatal accident on Route 72.
Gregg Specht hugs Darlene Black along Route 72, north of Graystone Road. This was the site of a crash in which five people were killed Sunday.
Site of fatal accident
Correction July 1, 2010 — The name of motorcycle accident victim Kristin Skowood is incorrectly spelled in the story below.
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Amy and "Butch" Wilhelm died together doing what they loved, riding their Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
The Manheim Township couple were an active, outgoing pair who loved people, co-workers said.
And people loved them.
"She was a bright light, no matter what room she walked into," said Rick Althouse, a sales representative for Clipper Magazine, where Amy Wilhelm, 50, was an assistant to a vice president in the Mountville office. "She was always positive. She always said, 'It's all good.' "
"Everybody knew Butch," said Bob Lynn, one of the owners of Hanover Engineering, where Wilhelm, 43, was a senior construction specialist. "We have over 80 employees, but if you mentioned his name, everyone knew who he was."
Wilhelm, whose first name was Dennis, and his wife were avid motorcyclists who enjoyed riding with friends on weekends, Lynn said.
On Sunday, the couple and three others died when the motorcycles they were riding collided with a van on Route 72, just north of Graystone Road, in Penn Township.
Also killed were Linda Lapp, 48, of New Holland; Samuel Lapp, 48, of New Holland; and Joshua Pennington, 27, of East Earl.
Dr. Stephen Diamantoni, county coroner, said all five were pronounced dead at the scene and died of multiple traumatic injuries.
He said all of the victims were wearing helmets.
Diamantoni said he responded to the crash scene along with deputy coroners Robert Granzow, Dave Schmidt and Kelli Lingg.
A sixth person, Kristen Skowood, 27, remained in critical condition Monday night at Lancaster General Hospital, according to a nursing supervisor.
Police said the couples were on three bikes and were heading south on Route 72 when they collided with the northbound Harrisburg Taxi van, driven by Alfred Moore, 64, of Harrisburg.
Moore also was taken to LGH, where he was listed in fair condition Monday.
Police did not release information Monday about where any of the drivers had been prior to the crash or where they were going.
Investigators said they still did not know what caused the collision, which happened about 5 p.m. in the southbound lane.
Police briefly closed a portion of the road early Monday to try to reconstruct the accident. Debris from the crash, including broken pieces of plastic and a pair of sunglasses, littered the grassy berm alongside a cornfield.
Also there Monday were Amy Wilhelm's co-workers, who placed a white cross at the accident scene in memory of her and her husband. They wept as they stood next to it.
"She left a very big hole," Althouse said.
The couple had been married almost 13 years. They had no children together. Wilhelm had a son from a previous marriage, who died three years ago.
Said Lynn of Dennis Wilhelm: "He was the type of guy who would go out of his way to help someone. I'm a better person to have known him."
Police ask anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Cpl. Rodney King or Officer Kristopher Keller, of Penn Township police, at 665-6959.