By Michael Hasch

Published: Wednesday, October 3, 2012, 7:04 p.m.
Updated: Thursday, October 4, 2012

Four people — three of them teens — died and four others were injured on Wednesday afternoon when a sport utility vehicle crossed Interstate 79 in Greene County, rolled down a steep embankment that forms the grass median and collided with an oncoming motorcycle.

The crash occurred at 4:34 p.m. in the southbound lanes of the interstate near the Ruff Creek exit, a county emergency dispatcher said. The northbound lanes of the interstate are elevated in the area.

The injured were taken to hospitals, including one by medical helicopter.

The three 18-year-old boys killed in the crash were identified as Cullin Frazer, who was driving the SUV, and Benjamin Hardy, both of Waynesburg, and Bryon Kerr of Carmichaels.

The motorcyclist was identified as Michael Cohen, 47, of Oshawa, Canada.

Hospitalized with minor injuries were three other boys from Waynesburg who were passengers in the SUV: Justin Gillogly, 16, Thomas Miller, 16, and Joseph Lilly, 18.

A passenger on the motorcycle, Sandra Cohen, 48, of Oshawa, suffered moderate injuries.

All four were taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.

State police Trooper Barton Lemansky said police did not know why the SUV crossed the median. He said the vehicle glanced off a camper before colliding with the motorcycle.

No one in the camper was hurt, Lemansky said.

The southbound lanes of the interstate were closed for several hours, and traffic was detoured along Route 19 from the Marianna exit, police said.

Michael Hasch is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-320-7820 or at mhasch@tribweb.com.

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