Morning Vehicle Accidents Leave Two Dead

by Jonathan Weaver

An elderly Apollo pedestrian and a Kittanning driver were both killed yesterday morning as the result of two separate accidents within Armstrong County.

About 7:30AM, the Apollo woman was killed while walking across an Apollo Borough street early yesterday morning.

According to Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Scott Zigo, Carol Lee Sells, 70, was in the crosswalk of North Second Street and Warren Avenue and struck by a mid-size car shortly before 7:30AM. She was pushed into the middle of North Second Street.

Sells was struck by a 1999 Ford Contour, driven by Michael Quinn, 57 of Monroeville. He was not injured in the accident, was wearing his seatbelt and the vehicle airbags did not deploy.

Sells was taken to Forbes Regional Hospital and pronounced dead shortly before 9AM.

No charges were filed yet in the fatal collision, but an investigation is ongoing.

Apollo Hose Company firefighters and Kiski Township police closed traffic for about three blocks of Astronaut Way during the course of several hours as State Police and Kiski Township Police processed the scene.

There was road access to the First Street bridge and the remainder of Kiski Avenue into Westmoreland County.

Later yesterday morning, a Kittanning driver was killed along Route 422 in Plumcreek Township.

According to County Coroner Brian Myers, Mary Anne Shaffer, 56, was traveling East on State Route 422 when she lost control of her Dodge Caravan on icy road conditions, went sideways and crossed over the center line.

Shaffer crossed over the center lane and hit a tractor-trailer - owned by R.A.M. Transit Lines Inc. of Saxonburg (Butler County) – head on.

She was pronounced dead at the scene by Coroner Brian K. Myers due to blunt force trauma to the head and thorax. She was not wearing a seatbelt.

Traffic was closed in both directions between Margaret Road and State Route 210 due to the crash - which PennDOT said was close to Farster Road. The road was reopened shortly before 1PM.

The Plumcreek Township investigation is ongoing by Trooper Woloszyn of the Pennsylvania State Police, with Elderton and Kittanning Township firefighters securing the scene.