MORGANTOWN — One woman is dead and several other people were taken to the hospital following three car accidents around Monongalia County on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
One accident left hundreds of motorists sitting in traffic for miles on Interstate 79 northbound, which was closed for several hours Wednesday morning. Stopped traffic also stretched onto Interstate 68 to at least Exit 1.
At 11:58 p.m. Tuesday, deputies with the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Department responded to a single-vehicle crash on Point Marion Road, near Warm Hollow Road, a press release from the sheriff stated.
A female passenger was killed in that accident. Her name has not been released.
Robert G. Vanluvanee was traveling south on Point Marion Road when he lost control of his vehicle while going around a curve, sending the 2003 Ford Explorer over the side of a hill.
His female passenger was thrown from the vehicle and pronounced dead at the scene. The sheriff’s release said the woman had not been positively identified by Wednesday afternoon.
Vanluvanee was transported to J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injures.
Several hours later, at 6:50 a.m. Wednesday, sheriff’s deputies responded to a four-vehicle crash on Mason-Dixon Highway, near Walnut Hill Road. Three of the four drivers in that accident were taken to the hospital.
A 2009 Pontiac G6, driven by Shelby Leeann Price, of New Freeport, Pa., was traveling east when she crossed the center line and hit a 2008 Mack — an 18-wheeler — driven by Russell D. Newcomb, of Spencer, according to information from the sheriff’s department.
Carol Wilson, of Fairview, was also traveling east and struck Price’s vehicle.
Newcomb lost control of his truck because of the impact, crossed the center line and struck a 2014 Chevrolet pickup truck head-on. The Chevrolet was driven by Cheral Ann Skinner, of Fairview.
All of the drivers except Newcomb were transported to Ruby Memorial with serious injuries.
Deputies responded to a third crash involving a pickup truck that rolled multiple times on I-79 northbound, near mile marker 150. That accident occured at 8:11 a.m.
According to a press release, Daniel Maze, of Fairmont, ran off the left side of the road, returned to the road, “possibly overcorrected” and then rolled multiple times. The truck finally came to rest on its top in the middle of the two northbound lanes.
Maze was partially pinned under his 2005 Ford F-150, but emergency workers were able to free him, a sheriff’s release stated.
He was taken to Ruby Memorial Hospital for treatment.
All three collisions are still under investigation, and witnesses to any of them are asked to call 304-291-7260.
