One killed in I-79 crash; highway reopened
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
One person was killed in a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 79 Wednesday morning. The accident closed down the highway and snarled traffic.
Traffic was backed up for several miles as a result of Wednesday morning’s fatal crash on I-79 near Canonsburg.
One person was killed Wednesday morning in a multi-vehicle crash that shut down Interstate 79 near Canonsburg for several hours.
According to a Washington County 911 supervisor, the accident occurred at about 9:48 a.m. in the southbound lanes at mile marker 43.6, between the Houston and Canonsburg exits.
According to the Washington County coroner, the crash occurred when a northbound motorist lost control of their vehicle and crossed the median, striking another vehicle and killing the driver. The accident caused a chain reaction, and a total of four vehicles were involved.
One person was declared dead at the scene. According to 911, at least two others were transported to Pittsburgh for treatment. One was flown via helicopter to Allegheny General Hospital, and the other was taken by ambulance to UPMC Presbyterian.
The coroner has not identified the driver who died, pending notification of next of kin. The driver was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
The accident led to all four lanes of I-79, north and south, being closed. The scene was cleared by about 2:30 p.m.
State police are investigating the crash. State police were assisted by Ambulance and Chair, Canonsburg Ambulance, Fort Cherry EMS, and Canonsburg and North Strabane fire departments.