Mar 28, 2024 By Mark Hofmann 3 min read

As investigators try to locate family members of the five people killed in a Wharton Township accident, municipal leaders are calling for changes to the stretch of Route 40 where the crash occurred.

“It’s a deadly and dangerous road,” said Brian VanSickle, chairman of the township’s board of supervisors and chief of Farmington VFD. “The track record reinforces that. Seven fatalities in the past six months.”

On Tuesday around 1:30 p.m., state police reported a crash involving a commercial semi-truck and two passenger vehicles. Five occupants, including an infant, in one of the passenger vehicles were killed. While officials believe they are from Ohio, until family members are located they are withholding names and other identifying information.

VanSickle said a Sept. 10 crash in the same area of Tuesday’s accident killed two men.

In his role as a township supervisor, VanSickle said he plans to ask the state to conduct a study of Route 40, a state-owned and maintained road, and to lower its 45 mph speed limit.

He said the posted speed is too fast, citing a curve in the road and a line-of-sight issue with a red light at a four-way intersection just above the hill.

“In my position, I want to try to get the board (of supervisors) to aid the community and ask PennDOT to lower the speed limit — whatever the process is to get the study done,” VanSickle said.

Mike Maendel, who handles public relations for the New Meadow Run/Spring Valley Bruderhof Communities, located near Tuesday’s accident, said community members have witnessed far too many crashes along the roadway, especially in the past few months.

“It’s a dangerous place,” Maendel said. “From our usage coming out of the driveway, there’s a lot of heavy traffic and trucks.”

Melissa R. Maczko, community relations coordinator with PennDOT District 12, said data from 2018 to 2022 show 13 crashes on Route 40 from Route 381 to Hawes Road, which is just past the main entrance to Nemacolin. Data from 2023 was not yet available, she said.

While there were no fatalities or serious injuries reported in that time period, there were 13 minor injuries reported, and one injury of unknown severity.

As he hopes to use his elected role to effect change, in his role as a fire chief, VanSickle said his duty is to make certain his fellow first responders are taken care of – especially in light of the infant’s death.

“It weighs on all of us,” VanSickle said. “You could see the somber look on everyone’s face.”

Through Fayette County EMA and other different agencies, VanSickle said the county has a team of grief counselors on hand to help first responders process what they’ve seen. He and others will take part in grief counseling on Thursday.

“All the training we’re offered … still doesn’t prepare you for the loss of a child,” VanSickle said.

But with the tragedy also came unity.

“In a very short amount of time, different agencies started arriving,” VanSickle said. “They all worked together at a tragic time and made a bad day manageable.”

Although Maendel didn’t witness the collision on Tuesday, he said members of the community heard it and immediately started praying and went to the scene to see if they could help. Some, he said, are also first responders.

“Our condolences go out to the family, especially this Easter time,” Maendel said.