Speed, cellphone use believed to have played role in fatal Rostraver crash, deputy coroner says

A West Newton man was killed in a head-on crash Sunday in Rostraver, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s Office.

Allen Lee Roberts, 26, was pronounced dead at the scene of the two-vehicle crash on Route 201, also known as Rostraver Road. It was reported around 4:30 p.m.

Roberts was driving a Suzuki car north on Rostraver Road when he crossed the center line around a curve in the road and slammed into a Jeep, said Deputy Coroner Sean Hribal.

“I definitely believe that speed and cellphone use were a factor in this,” Hribal said.

Police Chief Greg Resetar said a witness reported seeing the car speeding just before the crash. Police are still investigating other factors, he said.

Roberts sustained blunt force injuries from the crash, Hribal said. An autopsy will not be performed. Toxicology tests are pending.

An adult and child in the Jeep were not hurt, Resetar said. The road was closed for more than two hours while officials investigated and cleared the wreckage.

Rostraver Central Fire Department posted photos to Facebook that showed the smashed front ends of both vehicles.

Seventeen traffic fatalities have been reported in the county this year through Sept. 1, according to coroner statistics. In 2019, 27 people were killed in vehicle crashes; 21 people died the year before.

In 2019, an estimated 38,800 people nationwide lost their lives to car crashes, which was a 2% decline from 2018, with 39,404 deaths, and a 4% decline from 2017, with 40,231 deaths, according to the National Traffic Safety Council.