Father, son killed in wrong-way crash on Route 40 near Uniontown
A father and son from West Virginia were killed in a wrong-way crash in South Union Township over the weekend after a motorist from Greene County driving in the opposite direction struck their vehicle.
Brian Gilchrist, 41, and his 18-year-old son, Joshua, were heading east on Route 40 near the Morgantown Road exit about 12:45 a.m. Sunday when another vehicle traveling in the wrong direction on the divided highway crashed head-on into their car, state police said.
The driver of the other vehicle, Dylan Healey, 25, of Carmichaels, was treated for minor injuries, police said. Investigators suspect he may have been impaired, although no charges had been filed against Healey as of Wednesday afternoon. Police said Healey was driving west in the eastbound lanes of Route 40 just before it connects with Route 119 when the collision happened.
The crash pushed the Gilchrists’ car back into the median before it rolled onto its roof, police said. KDKA-TV reported Brian and Joshua Gilchrist were heading home after attending a concert in Pittsburgh.
It was not known where Healey was before the crash or where he entered the highway in the wrong direction. Police said they’re continuing to investigate the crash.
It was the second fatal crash in Fayette County in three days. State police said they also responded to a head-on crash Tuesday night in Menallen Township.
A vehicle traveling west on New Salem Road crossed the centerline about 7:30 p.m. and struck another car heading east, causing heavy damage to both vehicles, police said.
The driver of the vehicle that crossed into oncoming traffic was killed in the crash, police said. The identity of that person was not immediately released. A 5-year-old child in that vehicle suffered severe injuries, police said, while a 7-year-old passenger had moderate injuries.
The driver of the other car, who also was not identified, suffered a broken arm from the crash.
Police said that crash also remains under investigation.