A 56-year-old Finleyville man died Wednesday morning after his motorcycle collided with a commercial van that turned left across westbound traffic on State Route 136 in Nottingham Township. The crash happened just before 11 a.m. in the 2300 block of the highway, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco.
The rider, identified as Edward C. DeRosa, was traveling west on Route 136 approaching Sundust Road when the van turned left across the westbound lane and into his path, as reported by WPXI. The intersection sits near the Finleyville area, where Sundust Road meets Route 136, according to the Observer-Reporter. Warco said DeRosa was not wearing a helmet at the time of the crash.
Pennsylvania State Police and the Washington County Coroner's Office are investigating the crash. Details about the van's driver had not been released as of Wednesday.
Volunteer Crews Responded Along the Route 136 Corridor
Volunteer firefighters from the Valley Inn, Fallowfield Township, and Finleyville fire departments assisted state police at the scene, along with medics from Ambulance and Chair EMS, the Observer-Reporter's report noted. Multiple local volunteer departments routinely coordinate responses along this stretch of Route 136, a key east-west arterial road through Washington County.
It isn't the first serious motorcycle crash the corridor has seen. Back in June 2016, CBS News Pittsburgh reported that an oncoming vehicle crossed the center line near Lusk Road in the same township, plowing into a group of three motorcycles, killing a passenger and injuring four others.
Pennsylvania Law Puts Yielding Duty on Left-Turning Drivers
Under Pennsylvania's vehicle code, drivers making a left turn at an intersection must yield the right-of-way to any oncoming vehicle close enough to pose an immediate hazard, according to the Brandon J. Broderick law firm. State police have not yet formally assigned fault in Wednesday's crash, and no details about potential charges have been released.
DeRosa was legally permitted to ride without a helmet under Pennsylvania's partial helmet law, which allows riders 21 or older to go without protective headgear if they've held a motorcycle license for at least two years or completed a state-approved safety course, per Ciecka Law. The commonwealth modified its mandatory helmet requirement for experienced adult riders back in 2003.
Statewide Motorcycle Deaths Fell in 2025, But Risk Remains High
PennDOT recorded 2,927 motorcycle crashes and 186 motorcycle fatalities across Pennsylvania in 2025, an 11.2% drop in total crashes and a 14.7% decline in fatalities compared to the prior year, according to the agency's Crash Facts and Statistics report. Of those 186 deaths statewide, 174 were motorcycle operators and 12 were passengers, the same report found.
National research cited by PennDOT and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that DOT-compliant helmets reduce the risk of death in a motorcycle crash by 37% and cut the risk of head injury by 69%. Pennsylvania motorcyclists are also entitled to full use of a traffic lane under state law, and they're excluded from no-fault insurance requirements, preserving their right to pursue full tort damages in civil court, according to the law firm KaplunMarx.
The state also runs the Pennsylvania Motorcycle Safety Program, which offers free basic, intermediate, and advanced training courses to permit holders and licensed riders through PennDOT. No further information about DeRosa's crash has been released as the investigation by state police and the coroner's office continues.
