An 80-year-old Greensburg man is facing serious charges after state police say he drove drunk and high the wrong way down Interstate 70 near the Yukon exit in Hempfield Township, crashing into three tractor-trailers and touching off a fiery shutdown of the highway.
Investigators say Daniel Oliver was behind the wheel of an SUV that headed west in the eastbound lanes on Feb. 10 before slamming into the rigs. One of the semis caught fire, traffic in both directions was frozen for hours, and multiple drivers were taken to hospitals with injuries described as non-life-threatening. Police say a preliminary breath test at the scene and later bloodwork found alcohol and THC in Oliver's system as troopers reviewed video of the wrong-way run.
The Westmoreland County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday, April 1, that Oliver is charged with driving under the influence, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and risking catastrophe, according to CBS Pittsburgh. Prosecutors say the criminal complaint notes Oliver agreed to a preliminary breath test that came back positive, and his blood-alcohol concentration later registered at 0.095 percent. The DA's announcement also cites dash-cam footage showing the SUV traveling westbound in the eastbound lanes in the moments before the wreck.
How The I-70 Crash Turned Chaotic
State troopers and first responders say the initial impact was a head-on collision between the SUV and a tractor-trailer, after which the SUV pinballed between two more rigs before striking a third. At least one trailer loaded with produce erupted in flames. Trooper Rocco Gagliardi called the dash-camera footage really shocking and said investigators were collecting video from the trucks as part of the case.
The crash scattered heavy debris and spilled fuel across the roadway, forcing PennDOT and emergency crews to close I-70 near the Yukon exit for several hours while they cleared the scene and repaired damaged median barriers. Local scene coverage is available from WTAE.
Wrong-Way Crashes Put PennDOT On Alert
The I-70 collision landed in the middle of a run of wrong-way incidents on Pittsburgh-area highways in February, prompting PennDOT to say it will comb through crash reports and traffic data to identify spots where engineering changes might help, including at major interchanges, according to CBS Pittsburgh. The agency has cautioned that infrastructure fixes take time, and that driver behavior remains a key piece of preventing wrong-way runs.
State troopers and highway safety advocates have pushed for more signage, better lighting, and median improvements near problem entry points while PennDOT weighs potential projects.
What Happens Next In Court
Oliver has been arraigned and released while investigators wait for final toxicology results and prosecutors decide whether to pursue additional charges. The risking catastrophe count was filed under Pennsylvania law that makes it a felony to recklessly create a risk of widespread injury or damage, an offense codified at 18 Pa.C.S. section 3302, according to Justia.
Court dates and additional filings were not immediately available.
