A Pennsylvania State Police vehicle

By Jillian Pikora From Daily Voice

Three people were killed and five others were hospitalized after a fiery crash involving a tractor-trailer in Henry Clay Township, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Tuesday, Nov. 11.

Troopers from the Uniontown station were called to National Pike (Route 40) near Dark Hollow Road around 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 10. A preliminary investigation determined that a truck tractor traveling east crossed into the westbound lane, striking a Ford pickup truck head-on. The pickup then collided with a Chevrolet Express van, according to state police.

The drivers of the truck tractor and pickup truck, along with the front-seat passenger of the van, were pronounced dead at the scene. The remaining five passengers in the van were taken to area hospitals for treatment.

Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele called the investigation “difficult,” noting the severity of the impact and the fire that followed, WPXI reported.

 “This is a terrible tragedy that took three lives yesterday, and we are praying for the individuals who still remain in the hospital and are recovering,” Aubele said.

Aubele said the crash scene was heavily damaged, complicating efforts to identify victims.

“The intensity of the fire that happened with the tractor-trailer and pickup truck particularly destroyed a lot of the information. We couldn’t find a license plate for the pickup truck at the time,” he said.

Weather, speed, and the sharp curve of the hills may have contributed to the collision, Aubele added.

Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker said the van’s passengers were CSX employees and expressed frustration over repeated tragedies on the same stretch of highway, according to WTAE.

“Countless lives [have been] lost on this road due to the commercial tractor-trailers involved,” Baker said.

He vowed to push for restrictions on large commercial trucks along Route 40, referencing a mass-casualty crash there last year that killed four adults and an infant.

“My first goal would be to talk to PennDOT, the State Police, and the Turnpike Commission, as well as local and state legislators, to see what can be done in Harrisburg,” Baker said.

Markleysburg Henry Clay Volunteer Fire Department also urged the community to “please pray for all involved and all of the first responders” in a Facebook post.

The roadway was shut down for several hours on Monday night while Troop B Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Specialists investigated. The Fayette County Coroner’s Office is working to identify the victims and notify their families.