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Ben Franklin bridge crash kills 2 elderly sisters

Two women who were killed in a four-vehicle crash that forced the shutdown of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge late Thanksgiving night were identified yesterday as elderly sisters who lived on opposite sides of the bridge.

Two women who were killed in a four-vehicle crash that forced the shutdown of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge late Thanksgiving night were identified yesterday as elderly sisters who lived on opposite sides of the bridge.

Seven others were hurt in the accident, which occurred in the eastbound lanes at about 10:40 p.m. according to Danelle Hunter, spokeswoman for the Delaware River Port Authority which operates the bridge.

Traffic was closed in the eastbond lanes until 1:45 a.m. and in the westbound lanes for close to an hour, Hunter said.

Neighbors identified the two deceased women as Hana Kramer, 80, of Washington Square in Philadelphia, and her sister, Ruth, 85, of Cherry Hill. Relatives of the victims declined to comment last night.

Hunter said the crash occurred when the car carrying Kramer and her sister rear-ended another vehicle on the bridge. Two other vehicles also were involved in the accident, which occurred in the middle lanes of the span.

The injured were taken to Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia and Cooper University Hospital in Camden.

Hunter said the accident was under investigation by the DRPA police. *