Man Accused Of Killing Woman In Wrong-Way DUI Hit-And-Run Crash On I-70
SOUTH STRABANE TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - A woman is dead and a man is in jail facing multiple charges after a DUI wrong-way crash turned into a hit-and-run on Interstate 70 in Washington County.
Leandre Woods, 48, is accused of driving west in the eastbound lane and hitting 32-year-old Joscelyn Vith head-on. She was taken to a hospital where she died. A relative KDKA spoke to on the phone said she leaves behind two teenage kids and a husband. Both were from Eighty Four.
The crash happened in the early morning hours on I-70 in South Strabane Township. The accident backed up traffic for hours. The two vehicles involved were a mangled mess.
"The damage to the vehicles was extensive and at some point, the vehicles did catch fire," said Trooper Forrest Allison.
After the crash, police said Woods ran from his pick-up truck. He went to the hospital before going to the barracks, troopers said.
During questioning, detectives say Woods' stories didn't match up. He first told investigators he fell asleep while driving home from a friend's house in Washington. Then, when he was asked what he was doing between midnight when he left his friend's house and the time of the crash at 2 a.m., he said he was drinking at the Scapegoat Tavern in Washington. He told police he had two beers, then went on to say he was at the bar for four hours prior to leaving for his friend's house.
Meantime, state police said a witness tried to help Vith following the crash. He told investigators he saw Woods run from the scene. Another witness who drives for FedEx told KDKA's Amy Wadas over Facebook he held Vith's hand when she was pulled from her car to try and comfort her. He said he didn't want her to be alone.
"At 2 in the morning, it would be a little daunting to see along the road. To have the ability to turn around and try to help is pretty important," said Allison.
Investigators said Woods was convicted of DUI several times, once in Washington County in 2021 and once in Michigan in 2018. His license was suspended in August of 2021.
