Motorists traveling rural roads cautioned
Local emergency services and the state Department of Transportation (PennDOT) have cautioned drivers following an accident Thursday evening that killed two people in Bullskin Township.
Police said preliminary investigation showed speed to be a factor in the crash that killed Tyler Wolfe and Kayla Wiltrout when their vehicle struck a tree along Breakneak Road near its intersection with East End Road.
Rick Adobato, director of Fayette EMS, said Breakneck Road — an 11-mile stretch of road that travels through Connellsville, Bullskin and Saltlick townships — is no different from any other rural road in Fayette County.
“It has its share of accidents. We might get called (to Breakneck Road) more frequently because of the volume of traffic,” Adobato said.
PennDOT traffic maps from 2013, the most recent maps publicly available, show that the section of Breakneck Road where Thursday’s accident occurred sees 1,300 vehicles a day on average.
“It’s a rural, curvy road. (Motorists) really have to watch their speed — on this road and other rural roads in Fayette County,” said Adobato, who added that speed and alcohol often factor into accidents on Fayette County roadways.
“In my experience, usually those are the two predominant factors in things that happen,” he said.
Breakneck Road is part of state route 1050, a 21-mile route that also includes Bute Road in North Union and Dunbar townships and Crawford Avenue in Dunbar Township and Connellsville.
A traffic inquiry performed Friday by PennDOT returned 38 reportable accidents along state route 1051 during a five year period from 2010 through 2014.
Most of the incidents included property damage and only minor injuries. One fatal accident was recorded during that span, according to PennDOT District 12 spokeswoman Valerie Petersen.
In January 2012, a two-vehicle accident on Breakneck Road in Connellsville Township resulted in the death of two girls, a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old.
Snow-covered roads likely contributed to that accident.
Traffic maps show that 3,000 vehicles travel daily that one-mile span of Breakneck Road between East Crawford Avenue and Johnson Lane where the crash occurred.
“Motorists need to slow down. They need to be aware of their surroundings,” said Petersen. “Slow down, be cautious, be careful.”
Thursday’s accident was the first reportable crash near the intersection of Breakneck Road and East End Road, Petersen said.