Blairsville man killed in motorcycle crash
A Blairsville man was killed Monday in a motorcycle crash in Indiana County.
Mark A. Sprague, 39, was pronounced dead at the scene on Tunnelton Road in Conemaugh Township, east of Saltsburg, according to county Coroner Jerry Overman.
Investigators said Sprague was driving a Harley-Davidson motorcycle at 6 p.m. when he went off the road around a bend and hit a utility pole. He was not wearing a helmet. Overman said alcohol may have played a role in the crash and toxicology results are pending.
Sprague’s death was ruled an accident as a result of blunt force trauma.
A passenger was taken by ambulance to AHN Forbes Hospital in Monroeville for treatment of minor injuries, according to state police.
In 2020, there were about 3,400 crashes on Pennsylvania roads involving motorcycles, according to PennDOT statistics. Approximately 20% of them involved a fatality.
In 2019, there were 2,977 crashes involving a motorcycle and 174 people died, statistics show.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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