Route 30 In North Huntingdon Closed For Hours After Deadly Crash
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NORTH HUNTINGDON TOWNSHIP (KDKA) - A busy section of Route 30, the Lincoln Highway, between Skellytown Road and Colonial Manor Road in North Huntington was shut down to traffic in both directions for several hours Thursday night after a fatal crash.
The mishap involved three vehicles, a truck and a Jeep.
State Police were called in to help North Huntington Police in the investigation.
KDKA's Ralph Iannotti Reports:
The Westmoreland County Coroner's Office was also at the scene.
They have identified the victim as 57-year-old Michael Iannace of North Huntingdon. He was driving the 2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee involved in the crash, and had a passenger with him.
Iannace died at the scene. His passenger went to the hospital with serious injuries.
According to officials, a Hyundai Elantra, headed east, hit a Jeep Wrangler Sport while moving into the left lane, the Jeep Wrangler ended up in the westbound lanes where it it the victim's Jeep Grand Cherokee head-on.
Kurt Weinschenker, who grew up near the scene of the crash, told KDKA TV News, "I was minding my own business, cleaning up the dinner dishes, I heard this giant bang, looked out the kitchen window and I see a Jeep smoldering and I think another truck. So, I grabbed my cell phone, and called 911."
The accident happened in front of the St. Francis Animal Hospital. At the time of the crash, it was snowing and the road was wet, but conditions did not appear to be icy.
What caused the wreck is not known, but Weinschenker has a suspicion that speed may have played a role.
He explained, "The accidents seem to come in waves, as people forget this can be a dangerous stretch of roadway. They come up this slight hill, blasting down the road, all of a sudden they see there might be truck pulling out (of a side street), and the light is red, but by then, it's too late."
