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PennDOT called in at fatal crash site in Hermitage; clogged drain may have contributed to icy roadway
HERMITAGE — PennDOT is investigating a catch basin near where an icy patch developed on the Shenango Valley Freeway and is blamed for a fatal traffic crash.
Mercer County Assistant Maintenance Manager Kenneth J. Pochatko said he and other PennDOT workers were at the scene Monday morning, and want to return later in the week when they have equipment to remove the concrete barrier that divides the highway, in order to lift the top off the catch basin.
Officials want to see if the catch basin is clogged, which could have caused water to overflow onto the road. Pochatko said the water was below street level Monday, and was frozen.
Shortly after Friday’s crash in which Melissa L. Miller, 35, of 439 Orchard Road, Lackawannock Township, was killed, PennDOT put up a message board in the eastbound lane at Buhl Farm Drive that flashes “please use caution” and “watch for ice,” Pochatko said.
The flashing message sign will remain up “until we get this problem solved,” Pochatko said, but added that PennDOT is not admitting it has any liability in the crash.
“As far as who is responsible, that hasn’t been determined, yet,” he said. “I can’t say who is liable for that.”
Ms. Miller was thrown from her rolling sport-utility vehicle at 9:48 p.m. Friday, west of Maple Drive, Hermitage police said. Ms. Miller, who taught fifth grade at Farrell Elementary School and was head volleyball coach at West Middlesex High School, lost control of her eastbound SUV on ice, police said. The SUV hit an embankment and rolled several times, police said.
Pochatko said the accident was the first time he had heard of any problems with water crossing the road at the spot in front of Hudson Holding Co., but said he is not normally responsible for that area of the county.
He said another PennDOT employee noted water was flowing Friday, but that it had stopped later. The weather had been warm, in the 50s, and it rained. Friday night, when Pochatko visited the accident scene, water was flowing in the eastbound lane, he said.
Local businessmen said there has been an ongoing problem with water overflowing from the catch basin.
“They have totally ignored that thing,” charged Jerry Calvert, speaking of PennDOT and city officials.
Calvert, owner of Calvert Lumber Co., Sharon, and Cal’s Car Wash, Hermitage, said he first complained to PennDOT and the city — he did not remember to whom he spoke — when Universal Development, Girard, Ohio, began building the Stonegate Condominiums project about two years ago. Stonegate is east of the accident scene, on the north side of the road.
Pochatko said a detention pond and catch basin on the Stonegate property flows into PennDOT storm water lines just to the east of the catch basin in front of Hudson.
The flowing water becomes so deep in the eastbound lane that it alters the path of a vehicle, Calvert said.
“Even when you drive through it at the speed limit, 40 mph, it will grab your car and pull it,” Calvert said.
Another businessman, who asked not to be identified, said he contacted PennDOT about a year ago about water on the road, and PennDOT unclogged the basin.
He said he also had notified the city of the problem.
Hermitage Deputy Police Chief Ed Holiga said he was not aware of any ongoing water problems at the site. City Manager Gary P. Hinkson said he wanted to confer with Police Chief Patrick B. McElhinny before commenting on the situation.
The unnamed businessman said the water, when it freezes, creates a patch about 6 to 8 feet wide and about an inch thick. He said he could conceive of a vehicle sliding on the ice, then hitting dry pavement, causing the driver to lose control.
The businessman added that it was a nice evening Friday and he could see someone not expecting the road to be icy.
“It’s an accident, you know it’s going to happen,” he said.
Calvert said he also predicted that an accident such as Ms. Miller’s would happen.
“This could have been one of my kids or your kids,” he said. Instead, it was a 35-year-old mother of three.
“That’s a sad state of affairs,” Calvert said.
Both businessmen said there was a nearly identical accident about two weeks before Ms. Miller’s accident. While the driver had to be cut from his vehicle, he was wearing a seat belt and was not injured, they said.
Holiga said police want to examine Ms. Miller’s SUV to see if it was working properly, and are awaiting toxicology tests of blood samples.
Ms. Miller’s funeral was set for today. Farrell schools have canceled classes to allow staff and students to attend.
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