A Pitcairn man died and a Latrobe policeman was injured Wednesday morning in a crash along Route 119 in South Greensburg, authorities said.
Robert J. Borst, 57, of Fourth Street died as a result of cardiovascular disease, the Westmoreland County Coroner said. Borst was pronounced dead at Excela Westmoreland Hospital in Greensburg, about 40 minutes after the accident, which occurred at 11:15 a.m.
Investigators believe a 2006 Chevrolet Silverado driven by Borst was traveling south on Route 119 when it hit five vehicles stopped in the northbound turning lane to get onto Route 30 eastbound, South Greensburg police Chief Scott Fanchalsky said.
When Fanchalsky was interviewed, prior to the coroner’s statement being released, he said, “It’s unclear at this time whether the driver of the pickup truck had a medical event.”
The crash near the border of Southwest Greensburg and the Route 30 interchange closed Route 119 and off-ramps from Route 30 for several hours.
Route 119 in South Greensburg is closed in both directions after a 3-vehicle crash involving a pickup truck, SUV and a fuel truck. At least one person was transported to the hospital after the crash that occurred just after 11 a.m. Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/EBqmBvB5sM
— Paul Peirce (@ppeirce_trib) September 29, 2021
Latrobe Police Chief John Sleasman said the injured city officer was in plainclothes and his own vehicle at the time of the crash. The officer was traveling between court hearings.
The officer, who was not identified, was taken to UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Pittsburgh for treatment of arm, shoulder and leg injuries. Sleasman said he is expected to be OK.
Three vehicles were towed from the scene — the pickup, an SUV and a minivan. The pickup had heavy front-end damage and a minivan was pushed into the front grill of a Howard Gasoline and Oil truck.
That section of Route 119 is traveled by about 17,000 vehicles daily, according to PennDOT traffic data.
