Michael Chess, 44, of Greenville, died after his Mitsubishi Montaro left Perry Highway in Sandy Creek Township. WFMJ, citing State Police, reported that Chess was not wearing a seat belt or shoulder harness.
State Police believe the SUV was traveling south when it left the west side of the highway, entered a ditch and struck two trees. WFMJ reported that police said the impacts may have changed the vehicle’s course before it came to rest upside down. The exact time of the crash has not been determined; the SUV’s engine was cold when it was found, WFMJ reported.
The SUV came to rest about 700 feet from Route 19, roughly half a mile north of Steck Road and about two miles north of Sheakleyville. Mercer County 911 dispatchers received a report of someone inside an overturned SUV after 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, and WFMJ reported that responders had difficulty locating the vehicle. The Mercer County Coroner pronounced Chess dead at the scene, according to WFMJ’s report.
The crash happened on a stretch of Route 19 included in PennDOT’s $3.21 million resurfacing project in northern Mercer County. The agency said the project covers 5.67 miles through Sandy Creek Township, Sheakleyville Borough and Perry Township; work was scheduled to begin June 22, 2026, and was expected to be completed by November 2026. Planned work includes milling, paving, tree trimming, rumble strips, line painting, roadway markers, minor bridge repairs and drainage, guide-rail and sidewalk updates as needed, according to PennDOT’s project notice. The available crash account does not establish whether the project or road conditions contributed to the SUV leaving the highway.
Seat-belt rules and Route 19 project information
Pennsylvania’s seat-belt rule for adults is enforced alongside other traffic violations: PennDOT says drivers 18 or older can receive a second ticket for not wearing a seat belt if they are pulled over for another violation. The rule also covers front-seat passengers. PennDOT’s project notice describes the planned roadwork but does not provide crash-history findings or identify a specific documented safety concern on the Sandy Creek Township segment. The notice alone does not establish whether road conditions contributed to this crash.
