A Sunday night drive on State Route 980 in Cecil Township turned deadly when a three-vehicle crash sent one car over a hillside and forced a temporary shutdown of the road while emergency crews rushed in.
According to a Washington County 911 supervisor, the crash was reported just after 8 p.m. at the intersection of State Route 980 and Clover Lane and involved three vehicles. The supervisor said the driver of the vehicle that went over the hillside was declared dead at the scene, and it was still unclear whether anyone else was hurt, according to WPXI.
Rural roads and why rollovers can be deadly
Pennsylvania crash data show rural roads and rollover crashes account for a disproportionate share of fatal collisions, a pattern that helps explain why wrecks that send a vehicle down a hillside so often end in tragedy. PennDOT's 2023 Crash Facts and Statistics documents more than 1,200 traffic fatalities across the state in 2023. Cecil Township is served by multiple volunteer fire companies that respond across the township, according to Cecil Township.
Road closed, investigation underway
The Cecil Township Volunteer Fire Co. reported that Route 980 was closed between O'Hare Road and Swihart Road while crews worked the scene, with Washington County dispatch coordinating the initial response and road clearance. Investigators have not yet released the identity of the person who died and have asked anyone with information about the crash to contact local authorities, per WPXI.
Drivers in the area were urged to stay off Route 980 while emergency crews cleared the wreckage and investigators processed the scene. The investigation remains active, and officials said they will release more details as they become available.
