EBENSBURG, Pennsylvania — A man from Ebensburg was named Friday as the person killed in a three-axle truck crash in the Ebensburg area on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Three other people, including the man’s wife and two Cambria County sheriff’s deputies, were injured.
According to Cambria County Coroner Jeffrey Lees, Richard Dow, 77, of Ebensburg, died from massive blunt trauma to his head and chest after the SUV he was driving was hit by a coal truck. The manner of death was classified as accidental.
Lees said a Maltese poodle also died from injuries sustained in the accident.
As of Friday afternoon, Dow’s wife was still at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center.
The accident happened at the intersection of US Route 22 and South Center Street in Cambria Township.
Dow’s SUV was turning west off South Center Street onto Route 22 just after noon when it was struck by a three-axle westbound truck.
After hitting the SUV, the truck crossed the center line and crashed into a Cambria County Sheriff’s Office vehicle on the east lane of Route 22, injuring two officers who were in the vehicle, Lees said.
The officers were transported to Conemaugh Miners Medical Center and UPMC Altoona where their injuries were treated and released.
The wreckage remains under investigation by Cambria Township Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Cambria County District Attorney Gregory Neugebauer said caution should be exercised at the intersection because many accidents, including fatalities, have occurred there.
“This crossing is known to be problematic,” Neugebauer said. “There are a lot of accidents there. We just advise everyone to always be very careful at this intersection, whether passing through the 22 or entering the 22 through this intersection. There’s a reason this stretch of road is 45 mph and there’s a reason there are a lot of electronic signs at this intersection.”
Both Neugebauer and Lees stressed the importance of being careful when driving in the summer when there are more cars and children on the road.
“There will be children playing, people running and bicycles. Please exercise extreme caution on this holiday and try to prevent tragedy,” Lees said.
Katie Smolen is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow her on Twitter @KSmolen1230.
