PA Fatal Accident

Just before 11 a.m. yesterday, a 75 year old driver drove the wrong way on Route 222 in Bern Township and caused a 5 vehicle crash.  The driver got on Route 222 at the Spring Ridge Interchange, near the Body Zone and the accident occurred just before the bridge over the Tulpehocken Creek.

The driver was killed in this Pennsylvania car accident.

The elderly driver’s car hit a car driven by Paul Wise head on.  Mr. Wise was seriously injured and taken to Reading Hospital.  Another person was also taken to Reading Hospital and two injured people were taken to St Joseph Medical Center. Their identities and conditions have not yet been released.

There is no word on what caused the elderly driver to head the wrong way on Route 222.

Early Sunday morning a fatal two car accident occurred on Thompson Run Bridge in Duquesne.  The accident happened just after 1:45 a.m. when a Mazda 626 that was travelling northbound on Route 837 crossed the center lane and hit a Chevrolet Trailblazer that was travelling southbound.

The head on collision killed the 21 year old male driver of the Mazda who was from McKeesport and his 26 year old passenger who was from Elizabeth.

The driver and passenger in the Chevrolet were hurt.  The driver is reported to be in critical condition at a Pittsburgh hospital and the passenger is reportedly in stable condition.

The identities of the victims have not yet been released and there is no word on what caused the Mazda to cross the center lane and strike the Chevrolet head on.

Three pickup trucks were involved in back to back accidents early Wednesday morning in Cumberland Township, PA.  The accidents happened along Route 220 at approximately 5:30 a.m.  The death of one of the drivers, Mr. Jeffrey Quirin, age 46 of Altoona, was reported.

Mr. Quirin’s pickup truck was hit head on by a pickup truck driven by an 18 year old driver,  Andrew Hickey, from Bedford.  Just before that head on collision, a third pickup truck driven by Dean Halteman of Mapleton Depot had crossed into the lane where Mr. Hickey’s truck was traveling.  Mr. Hickey hit the trailer of Mr. Halteman’s truck which then caused his truck to swerve and hit Mr. Quirin’s truck.

The police plan to reconstruct the accident and the Bedford County district attorney is assisting in the investigation.

A fatal accident occurred on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Allegheny County on Wednesday afternoon.  The accident happened between the Butler Valley and Cranberry Township interchanges, near mile marker 36.

Shortly after 2 p.m., a tri-axle truck slowed down to enter an access ramp.  The car behind the truck also slowed down but the SUV behind the car did not slow down and the SUV hit the car, forcing it under the back end of the truck.

The driver of the car, 42 year old Theresa Pastore of Delaware County, was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident.  The driver of the SUV suffered minor injuries and was released from the hospital on Wednesday afternoon. 

The eastbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike were closed for several hours near the accident scene as police investigated the death of Ms. Pastore and the cause of the accident.

At about 1:30 yesterday afternoon an SUV was involved in a fatal accident on Grant Road in Hanover.  One driver and three passengers – all female teenagers from New Oxford High School- were travelling in the SUV at the time of the crash. 

The Ford SUV hit a tree resulting in one death and three significant injuries.  The front seat passenger was pronounced dead at Hanover Hospital less than an hour after the accident.  The driver was flown to Hershey Medical Center with serious injuries and the backseat passengers were flown to York Hospital with significant injuries.  The prognosis of the three injured victims is not yet known. 

The one vehicle accident happened when the SUV hit a tree and caught fire.  Neighbors in nearby homes tried to put the fire out to save the girls further injury.  The names of the victims have not yet been released.