A Friday evening accident which claimed three lives and shut down southbound traffic on Interstate 79 is still under investigation and may be for some time, said Bridgeport Police Officer Bart Sayers.

 

With the rate of speed the vehicles – a Dodge minivan and a box truck – were traveling when they made impact, the debris and the skid marks were very widespread.

 

“It’s really the most severe damage I’ve ever seen,” said Sayers who is heading up the investigation.

 

The accident happened at about 6:15 p.m. when the box truck, traveling north, crossed the median at I-79 near the 124 mile marker - Jerry Dove Drive exit - striking the van on the driver’s side.

 

It’s unknown at this time why the driver of the truck lost control. It could have been anything from mechanical failure to a medical condition.

 

“You can always speculate, but there’s no way to accurately tell yet,” said Sayers, adding the accident survivors who have been able, have provided statements.  

 

Both occupants of the truck and the three surviving occupants of the van were all transported to United Hospital Center by Bridgeport Fire and Emergency with assistance from Anmoore, said Bridgeport Fire Lt. Steve Gallo.

 

The three individuals killed in the accident were identified as 40-year-old Rhoda Malone, 17-year-old Breanna Africa and 16-year-old Faith Dowler, all of central Pennsylvania. Driven by Malone, the van was traveling to Festival of Life,a Christian-based event for families held at Clarksburg Amphitheatre. The other three van passengers, Logan Malone, Rhianna Browell and McKenzie Molinaro have since been discharged from UHC.

 

Following impact, both vehicles landed in the grass area just off the southbound lane, Sayers said. It took several hours to take measurements and reconstruct the accident. One northbound lane was closed until midnight and all southbound lanes were shut down until about 2 a.m. In the meantime, southbound traffic was rerouted across Route 131 and west across Bridgeport’s Main Street. With all available police officers on the accident scene, the department was short on manpower for directing traffic on the detour, Sayers said.

 

But for the most part, traffic moved fairly smoothly.

 

“We only had one call about someone being gridlocked, but it ended up fine. Traffic moved slowly, but there were no accidents,” Sayers said.

 

The original 911 call indicated that multiple vehicles were involved. Sayers confirmed that there were only two.

 

“There was a vehicle broken down along the Interstate before the accident occurred,” he said.

 

Although that vehicle was in close proximity to the accident, it was not hit. The minivan and the box truck were towed from the scene several hours after the accident. 

 

See a special report by WPXI, out of Pittsburgh, with information about the women and Go Fund Me pages set up for their families HERE.