Police seeking answers in Greene County crash that killed four
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Emergency workers respond to the scene of a fatal wreck near the Ruff Creek exit of Interstate 79 in Greene County.
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Pennsylvania State Police investigating Wednesday's fatal, multi-vehicle crash in Greene County had no further answers today about what caused a sport utility vehicle carrying six teenagers to veer off Interstate 79 and into oncoming traffic.
Three of the teens were killed and three were injured. Also killed was a Canadian motorcyclist.
Police have spoken to at least one of the surviving teens, none of whom was wearing a seatbelt.
"Spoke to them yes, pressed them no," Trooper Barton Lemansky said.
It has not been determined whether those who died were wearing seatbelts.
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Investigators had no timetable for reconstructing the accident scene on I-79 in Washington Township.
"We're awaiting reconstruction of the accident and that can take some time. As far as speed, as far as alcohol, drug use, that won't be available this soon," Trooper Lemansky said.
There was no immediate sign of the use of intoxicants, he added.
Those killed when the SUV crashed not long after 4:30 p.m. were Cullin Frazer and Benjamin Hardy, both 18 and of Waynesburg, and Bryon Kerr, 18, of Carmichaels.
The injured passengers are 16-year-olds Justin Gillogly and Thomas Miller, and Joseph Lilley, 18, all of Waynesburg.
Police said the 2003 Mitsubishi Outlander driven by Mr. Frazer was northbound on I-79 when it went off the road up and a grassy median. In that stretch of road, Trooper Lemansky said, the northbound lanes are elevated above the southbound ones.
The SUV shot up the median and went airborne before rolling down the median and hitting a camper containing a couple from Maryland and a motorcycle driven by Michael Cohen, 47, of Oshawa, Canada.
Mr. Cohen died at the scene and his passenger, Sandra Cohen, 48, was taken to the hospital.
Mr. Frazer had a valid driver's license with no restrictions, Trooper Lemansky said.
The vehicle was up to date on its inspection and there was no obvious sign of mechanical problems in the mangled wreckage, but Trooper Lemansky said it would undergo a thorough review.
"Because nothing jumps out us at the scene as far as mechanical problems doesn't mean the thorough examination that it will receive won't reveal something like that."
The SUV had a temporary license plate, indicating it had been bought recently. Trooper Lemansky said one of the passengers told police that the vehicle belonged to Mr. Hardy.
First Published October 4, 2012 12:00 am
