Mar 26, 2024 By Amy Fauth 2 min read

An infant was among the five people who were killed when a commercial semi-truck and two passenger vehicles collided just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday in Wharton Township.

Trooper Kalee Barnhart, the public information officer for the Uniontown barracks, called the investigation “extremely active” late in the afternoon. She said an accident reconstruction specialist was at the scene of the crash on Route 40 at the intersection with New Meadow Run Road, to determine how the crash occurred and which of the drivers was at fault.

“We’re working very closely with the Fayette County coroner’s office and the Fayette County district attorney’s office in this investigation,” she said.

Barnhart said all of those who died were in one of the passenger vehicles. The two people in the second passenger vehicle sustained minor injuries, and the driver of the truck was uninjured, she said.

Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker said the identities of those who were killed would not be released until their families have been notified, and police were not yet able to provide the ages of any of those who died.

As police investigated, Route 40 was closed in both directions between the intersection of Route 381 (Elliotsville Road/Farmington Ohiopyle Road) and the intersection of Dinner Bell 5 Forks Road and Dinner Bell Ohiopyle Road. It reopened around 6 p.m.