Crashes Occur on the Route 422 Bypass

Three traffic accidents during the last few days are being blamed on increased traffic flow on the Route 422 bypass around Kittanning due to the temporary closure of the Citizen’s Bridge.

The first accident occurred Monday at approximately 6PM. Clayton Toy, 16, of Elderton and Dawn Lasher, 43, of Ford City were driving their vehicles eastbound on Route 422 in the left lane of travel. Lasher slowed down to allow merging traffic into the left lane. Toy was following Lasher’s vehicle and failed to  see Lasher was slowing for traffic. Toy struck Lasher. Both drivers pulled off into the median of Route 422. All occupants of both vehicles were wearing their seatbelts.

Two other accidents occurred on Route 422 westbound on the Graff Bridge yesterday morning shortly after 9AM.

Heather Ferderbar of Wexford was following to close to a vehicle driven by an unidentified woman from Kittanning and struck that vehicle in the rear. Another vehicle driven by Terry Seger of Punxsutawney was traveling behind the second vehicle and could not stop in time. Seger swerved to avoid hitting the other vehicle and hit the center divider.

Meanwhile, a vehicle operated by Roxane Jordan of Kittanning attempted to merge in the left lane of Route 422 and struck the rear of a vehicle driven by Felicia Tomaswick of Ford City. Thomaswick’s vehicle was then pushed into another vehicle driven by Ray Bashline of Elderton. Bashline’s vehicle was pushed into another vehicle driven by Casey Eckman of Yatesboro.  There were no injuries reported and all units were driven from the scene.