A 62-year-old Confluence man is dead after a hit-and-run crash just before noon on Stone Church Road in Redstone Township, and the driver who struck him has not been found. Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the crash that killed Ronald Hostetler, and the Fayette County District Attorney's Office is asking anyone with information to come forward.
Hostetler's death was confirmed by the Fayette County Coroner's Office, according to CBS Pittsburgh, which reported that state troopers are leading the investigation into the crash on Stone Church Road.
Investigators have released a description of the vehicle they believe was involved, which was shared in a Facebook post from the Fayette County District Attorney's Office. Authorities say they're looking for a 2004 to 2016 Chevrolet Colorado or GMC Canyon pickup truck bearing front-end damage and damage to the passenger side. Anyone with information about the vehicle or the crash is asked to contact law enforcement.
A Wide Net for a Common Truck
The model years investigators specified span two separate generations of the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, which General Motors built as mechanical twins across multiple production runs. According to CarBuzz, the range includes the first-generation trucks built on the GMT355 platform from 2004 through 2012, as well as the second generation that launched for the 2015 model year — meaning the damaged pickup could look quite different depending on which generation it turns out to be.
Because Redstone Township does not maintain a full-time municipal police force capable of handling major felony investigations, the case falls to Pennsylvania State Police Troop B, which operates out of stations in Uniontown and Belle Vernon and covers Fayette County and neighboring municipalities, per the state's Crime in Pennsylvania Dashboard. That arrangement is why troopers, rather than local officers, are the ones canvassing for leads on the missing pickup.
A Road With a Troubled Recent History
Stone Church Road has been the site of other fatal crashes in recent years. In September 2024, 35-year-old Brownsville resident Charles Bell III was killed in a single-vehicle crash in the 250 block of the same road, with emergency crews pronouncing him dead at the scene, according to WPXI. And in May 2022, 26-year-old William J. Vernon of East Millsboro died on Stone Church Road after losing control of his pickup truck and striking a residence, shortly after fleeing a separate crash nearby on Academy Road, TribLIVE reported at the time.
Local officials have taken steps to address infrastructure along the corridor. Redstone Township previously contracted with K2 Engineering for surveying and permitting work on a culvert repair project meant to improve the roadway, according to township meeting records.
What the Driver Could Face if Caught
If the driver who fled Stone Church Road is identified, Pennsylvania law sets out a clear set of obligations that were allegedly violated. Under 75 Pa.C.S. § 3744, any driver involved in a fatal collision must immediately stop, provide their name, address, registration, and license, and render reasonable assistance, including calling for emergency medical help — duties that apply regardless of who caused the initial crash, according to HGSK Injury Lawyers.
Leaving the scene of a crash that results in death is classified under Pennsylvania's vehicle code as a felony of the third degree, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of at least one year in prison along with a mandatory $2,500 fine. Pennsylvania's Supreme Court has also clarified how such cases are charged: in Commonwealth v. Satterfield, the court ruled that a driver who flees a fatal crash can only be charged with a single hit-and-run count per incident, regardless of how many victims were involved, according to Criminal Legal News.
Part of a Broader Statewide Picture
Hostetler's death adds to a grim statewide tally, even as overall numbers have been trending downward. Pennsylvania Department of Transportation data released in May showed traffic fatalities statewide fell to 1,047 in 2025, the lowest annual total on record outside of 2020, marking an 80-fatality drop from the previous year, according to PSATS.org. Even so, PennDOT statistical analyses cited by Munley Law estimate an average of 303 crashes occur daily across the state, resulting in roughly three traffic deaths every day — about one every eight hours.
For now, investigators have not said whether surveillance footage from nearby routes has turned up any leads, and no arrests have been announced. The Fayette County District Attorney's Office continues to ask anyone with information about the crash or the suspect vehicle to reach out to law enforcement as the search for the driver continues.
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