Woman killed in Franklin Township crash
FRANKLIN TWP. – A Greene County woman was killed when her vehicle and a mobile crane truck collided on Route 21 in Franklin Township on Monday afternoon.
Saundra Kay Hanko, 65, of Sycamore was pronounced dead at the scene by Greene County Coroner Gregory P. Rohanna following a collision with the truck, which was being driven by Kenneth E. Bittinger III, 37, of Labelle.
State police said the accident occurred at 3:39 p.m. Monday when Bittinger, who was traveling east on Route 21, approached the intersection with Murtha Drive and allegedly failed to stop for the steady red signal and impacted Hanko’s 2014 Ford Explorer, which had entered Route 21 from Murtha Drive.
Police said Bittinger’s truck struck Hanko’s vehicle in the driver’s side with the front portion of Bittinger’s truck pushing Hanko’s vehicle east along Route 21 before both vehicles came to a stop in the intersection.
Bittinger was transported to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, W.Va. for treatment of injuries. The severity of Bittinger’s injuries was not known by press time.
The truck is owned by Anthony Crane, according to reports.
State police closed the road to reconstruct and investigate the accident and re-opened the road to traffic just before 9 p.m.
Waynesburg-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Department assisted at the scene, according to reports.
The crash remains under investigation.