A tractor-trailer driver was arrested Monday on homicide by vehicle charges in connection with a March crash that killed a Greensburg Salem school van driver.
Isaac D. Stemple, 23, of Belington, W.Va., is free on $100,000 unsecured bail.
Rene Davis, 60, of Hempfield was killed in the March 7 crash when the school van she was driving was struck by an eastbound tractor-trailer that ran through a red light at 7 a.m. on Route 22 in Salem, according to state police.
The van and an SUV were on opposite sides of Route 819 waiting at stoplights where the road meets Route 22. When their traffic lights turned green, both drove into the intersection, where the tractor-trailer slammed into them.
Several witnesses reported to state troopers hearing a loud collision, comparing it to an explosion, according to court papers.
Stemple told investigators the sun was in his eyes as he approached the intersection and did not see the traffic lights, police said.
“He had his head down to keep the sun out of his eyes as he reached up for his sunglasses, he looked up and saw the light,” Trooper Matthew D. Stercho wrote in the complaint. “He could not see what color it was and, before he knew it, there was two cars in front of him. Stemple continued he is unfamiliar with this area and is unfamiliar with the road and traffic lights.”
Ten seconds of dash camera footage from the tractor-trailer showed three red traffic lights while approaching the intersection — one is obscured by the sun glare while the other two are visible, according to court papers. About 1,000 feet before the intersection is a “red signal ahead” warning sign, police said.
There were no mechanical malfunctions on any of the vehicles involved, and speed didn’t play a role, troopers said. Stemple was traveling between 51 and 56 mph in a 45 mph zone.
There were no passengers on the school van, owned by DMJ Transportation. Davis worked for DMJ since August 2023.
The SUV was driven by a 17-year-old Greensburg Salem student who was taken to a hospital in stable condition.
Stemple was not hurt. The tractor-trailer was hauling lumber.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 2. In addition to homicide by vehicle, Stemple is charged with two counts of reckless endangerment and 10 summary offenses for failing to stop at the red light, speeding and related to conditions of the tractor-trailer. He didn’t have an attorney listed in online court records. A message left on a number for him was not immediately returned.
