3-vehicle crash in Indiana County kills 1, injures 3
A Creekside man was killed and three others were injured in a three-vehicle crash Friday afternoon in Indiana County.
Robert Daniel Riddle, 61, died of blunt force trauma to the chest, Indiana County Coroner Jerry Overman said.
Riddle was taken by ambulance to Indiana Regional Medical Center, where he was declared dead, Overman said.
Dayton resident Melissa H. Droske, 33, and her two children, who were passengers in her southbound minivan, were injured and flown to Pittsburgh hospitals, state police said.
Droske, last reported in critical condition, was being treated for major injuries Saturday morning at UPMC Presbyterian, police said. Her 9-year-old daughter, who suffered moderate injuries, and her 4-year-old son, who had minor injuries, were flown to UPMC Children’s Hospital.
The crash happened shortly before 4 p.m. on Old Route 119, north of McHenry Road in White Township.
The Creekside man was driving north when his Buick Rendezvous crossover sport utility vehicle struck a guide rail off the east edge of the road and careened into the southbound lane, colliding with the minivan, police said. The minivan went down an embankment and overturned.
The Buick continued on, striking a southbound Nissan Altima driven by Robert J. Lutz Jr., 20, of Mentcle, who wasn’t injured, police said.
All of the motorists were wearing seat belts, police said.
Firefighters from Indiana and Creekside assisted at the scene.
Jeff Himler is a TribLive reporter covering Greater Latrobe, Ligonier Valley, Mt. Pleasant Area and Derry Area school districts and their communities. He also reports on transportation issues. A journalist for more than three decades, he enjoys delving into local history. He can be reached at jhimler@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.