Officials: Icy Conditions Caused Fatal Crash On Second Ave. In Hazelwood
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- One person is dead and a busy roadway in the city's Hazelwood section was shut down for the morning rush hour Tuesday after a one-vehicle crash due to icy conditions.
The crash happened along Second Avenue around 6:30 a.m.
According to Pittsburgh Public Safety officials, the driver was heading inbound and lost control on a patch of ice and veered off the road. The car struck a tree and the person inside the car was killed.
ALERT: 2nd Ave in Hazelwood closed for at least two hours after a single-car fatal crash. Driver heading inbound lost control on icy roadway and struck tree. Road closed between Greenfield Ave and Mobile St. Drive carefully. Frigid temps=icy roads.
— Pgh Public Safety (@PghPublicSafety) January 22, 2019
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner's Office has identified the victim as 36-year-old Tricia Rattigan of Pittsburgh.
Second Avenue, or Route 885, was closed in both directions between Greenfield Avenue and Mobile Street for hours.
UPDATE: RT-885 is closed in both directions from Hazelwood Ave to Mobile St. @MeghanKDKA will have live updates from the scene of this accident until 8:00 on @PittsburghsCW @KDKA pic.twitter.com/xRuvbfuDiS
— Celina Pompeani (@CelinaPompeani) January 22, 2019
Traffic backed up for miles and officers detoured drivers off of Second Avenue onto Mobile Street. Other drivers did a U-turn on Second Avenue and headed outbound. A patrol car blocked off Second Avenue at Greenfield Avenue.
The road appeared wet and covered in patches of ice when KDKA arrived at the scene of the fatal crash. Our cameras rolled as crews used a front loader to scrape the accumulated ice off of the right-hand lane.
Pittsburgh Police reopened the road shortly before 10 a.m.
The investigation continues.