2 pedestrians die, as icy roads lead to accidents throughout Western Pennsylvania
An early morning ice storm Saturday
slickened roads throughout Western Pennsylvania, caused dozens of
accidents and contributed to the deaths of two pedestrians, emergency
officials said.
Freezing drizzle coated roads with ice
beginning around 5:30 a.m., dispatchers reported. Conditions began to
improve around 9:30 a.m. as the temperature began to rise in southern
counties. A winter weather advisory remained in effect for northern
counties.
An Apollo man was run over by his van in front of his First Street second-hand store at about 7:30 a.m.
Gary Beigay, 68, of First Street, had
just parked, and his van started to slide on the icy street and he went
behind the van to stop it, Armstrong County Chief Deputy Coroner Robert
Bellas said.
Beigay was standing behind his van
when it started to move backward, and witnesses saw it roll over him,
Apollo police Officer Ron Baustert said.
Bellas said Beigay died from injuries to the chest. The death has been ruled an accident.
Baustert said Beigay has a First Street address but usually stayed with relatives in North Apollo.
The Allegheny County Medical
Examiner's Office confirmed a pedestrian died at Lakewood and Rocklege
drives in Aleppo Saturday morning.
Kimberly Moran, 49, of Aleppo died
after being struck by a car sliding on the ice, according to Ohio
Township police Chief Norbert Micklos. Moran had been walking two dogs
at time time of the accident. The car pushed Moran against a fiberglass
utility box, Micklos said.
WPXI also reported a salt truck slid into a home in Shaler.
Dispatchers said drivers were stuck on many roads because of the ice.
City road crews began to treating
roads and bridges at 4 a.m. in preparation for the freezing rain,
according to a statement from Katie O'Malley, city spokeswoman. There
was no opportunity to pre-treat roads. Had dry roads been pre-treated,
the material would have been washed away by the rain, prior to freezing
temperatures.
The National Weather Service in
Pittsburgh said freezing rain was expected to last in the area until
about 10 a.m. The advisory stretched west from Zanesville, Ohio, south
to Morgantown, W.Va., east to Westmoreland County and north to the
Interstate 80 corridor.
The National Weather Service in State
College also issued a winter weather advisory for Somerset, Cambria and
Clearfield counties.
PennDOT reduced the speed limit on
major highways including Interstates 79, 376, 279 and 579 to 45 mph. It
is urging motorists to stay off the roads.
The Port Authority of Allegheny County is also reporting delays on bus routes. The light-rail system is on schedule.
PennDOT reported a multi-vehicle
accident on Route 28 southbound near Millvale with lanes blocked for a
time, as well as an accident on Interstate 79 northbound at the Route 60
interchange in Robinson.
Route 28 between Tarentum and RIDC
Park reopened after a short closure, but state police said motorists
should proceed with caution because of possible refreezing. Firefighters
reported at least one car slid into a house along Crescent Boulevard
Extension in Crescent.
Area police are urging people to stay off the roads.