Woman killed in Wharton Twp. crash
A woman was killed when a van transporting seven Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa employees crashed Sunday morning in Wharton Township. Farmington Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brian VanSickle said the crash occurred around 7:30 a.m. on Farmington Ohiopyle Road.
Officials declined to release the woman’s identity as of deadline Sunday so that her family could first be notified.
VanSickle said the woman was believed to be in her 60s and was a native of Russia. He said documentation showed the woman recently became a U.S. citizen and had moved from New York three days ago to take the job at Nemacolin Woodlands.
Officials said the other six employees in the van were not injured as a result of the accident.
State police Trooper Timothy M. Jamieson said the crash occurred when the driver of the Ford E350 passenger van lost control while traveling north on Farmington Ohiopyle Road (Route 381).
Jamieson said the van ran off the road, which officials said was recently tarred and chipped, and struck a utility pole and tree.
Officials said the woman was a passenger in the van and that her head struck the utility pole as a result of the crash, resulting in fatal injuries.
“The van probably didn’t even sustain $600 worth of damage. It was a freak accident,” VanSickle said.
Police said the woman was not wearing a seatbelt. The other six occupants in the van were wearing seatbelts, police said.
Police identified the other occupants as being: Shamshod Mamorov, 23; Vitalie Septelici, 21; Cristina Militaru, 20; Pavel Alekseyevich, 20; Sarkhan Hajaliyev, 20; Farid Taghizade, 20.
VanSickle said the woman who suffered fatal injuries was taken by ambulance to Uniontown Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
Fayette County Coroner Dr. Phillip E. Reilly will release the woman’s identity once family has been notified.
VanSickle said Farmington Ohiopyle Road was shut down from Ohiopyle to Route 40 for four hours as police conducted their investigation. The van was towed from the scene, he said.
Ohiopyle Volunteer Fire Department and PennDOT also provided assistance at the scene.