The state police are looking for a vehicle involved in a fatal three-vehicle collision that killed an East Greenville man Monday afternoon in Upper Hanover. William Bender, 38, was driving south on Route 663 towards Pennsburg when his 2004

Family and friends of the Bender family were handing out flyers Wednesday afternoon seeking information on the hit- and-run accident where William Bender died, about one-half mile east of Pennsburg on Route 663.  Above Susan Camp, aunt of Megan Bender, distributes information to motorists, at the intersection of Route 663 and Route 29 in Pennsburg, to make motorists aware of the search for information on the  striking vehicle.

black Honda Civic was hit from behind by an unknown vehicle immediately before Northgate Boulevard.

            The Civic, which was propelled into the opposing lane of traffic, was then struck on the passenger side by a 2003 gold Buick LeSabre driven by Edward Kabakjian, 84, of Pennsburg. Kabakjian was transported from the scene with "moderate injuries" according to law enforcement officials.

            Bender – the father of four and known as a talented mechanic – died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash, which occurred around 4:40 p.m. The striking vehicle , described as orange/brown or faded red, fled the scene and was last seen traveling south on Route 663 towards Pennsburg, according to a news release from the state police's Skippack barracks.

            "Don't let me find the person who caused the accident," said Brian Levy, Bender's uncle and the owner of Valley Auto Group Inc., located at 105 East 7th Street Pennsburg. 

            Bender's widow Megan expressed confidence that the authorities would identify the driver of the striking vehicle, which may have light to moderate damage along the front left bumper or fender from the incident. She said Wednesday that state troopers told her they should be able to figure out who caused the collision but that it will take time.

            In April, after 20 years at Valley Auto, William Bender took a management job with SEPTA, according to Levy. "He loved it," Megan Bender said.

            Megan Bender related that the couple had discussed moving closer to Philadelphia to minimize the commute, which stretched between an hour and a one hour, 45 minutes. However, she said Bill didn't like the idea of uprooting their children, who range in age from 10 to 19.

            Levy described William Bender as outgoing, funny, a joy to be around and a devoted family man. "Nobody I know took care of his children and family the way Bill did," Levy said.

            According to Megan Bender, William was a very involved father. "He would do anything for the kids," she said.

            One relative described him as a champion for his children and someone who always had a smile on his face.

            "Bill was one of the good guys," said Susan Camp, Megan Bender's aunt. He was an all-around good person."

            William Bender started as a regular mechanic at Valley Auto, and worked his way up to service manager. Levy called him one the best mechanics around.

            "Not a person who came in did not like Bill," Levy said. "He was the perfect person for this kind of job."

            Camp, a Lower Pottsgrove resident, is rallying several family members and friends to learn the identity of the driver. On Wednesday from 4 to 5 p.m. they gathered at the Pennsburg Square – located at intersection of Main Street and Quakertown Avenue – to pass out fliers to commuters with the hope to gaining some additional knowledge of the driver or the striking vehicle.

            "Justice needs to be done," Camp said. "Someone needs to be responsible for killing Bill. He was two miles and seven minutes from getting home to see his kids, and he was killed due to another person's negligence."

            Services will be handled by the Mann-Slonaker Funeral Home in East Greenville. His obituary can be viewed at www.upvnews.com .

           A gofundme page has been set up for the family at www.gofundme.com/for-the-benders to help them.  The fundraising page read, in part, "Due to this unforseen tragedy to this family, the last thing the Benders need to worry about is the financial burden that is about to come their way."