A 54-year-old woman died Sunday afternoon in a crash in Harrison Township that shut down a stretch of Route 908 for hours. The Allegheny County Medical Examiner identified the woman as Melody Sue Emrich, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
The crash happened around 2:30 p.m. near Exit 16 off Route 28, according to Hilltop Hose Co. No. 3, as reported by TribLIVE.com. WPXI reported that the fatal crash involved two vehicles at the intersection of State Route 908 and Route 28 in Harrison Township. Police, fire crews and medics were dispatched to the area at 2:35 p.m., and three people were taken to area hospitals from the scene.
Route 908 Closed for Hours Near Fawn Township Line
Route 908 was closed between Saxonburg Road in Fawn and the Route 28 northbound ramps, the station's report noted, with Hilltop Hose Co. No. 3 warning that the closure would last an extended time. PennDOT had removed its traffic advisory for the area by Sunday evening, per the same account.
A July 5, 2021, WTAE report concerned a different Route 28 crash and said no additional details had been released; it also reported that both directions of part of Route 28 in Harrison Township were closed Monday because of two separate crashes, with one person transported before the road reopened. Police could not be reached for comment Sunday night. No information about Emrich's residence has been provided.
Route 28 Corridor Has Seen Serious Crashes Before
The Route 28 corridor running through Allegheny County has drawn scrutiny after other serious crashes. On August 27, 2024, a southbound car crossed the median on Route 28 in East Deer and went airborne, traveling over a car in the northbound lanes before being struck by another vehicle. Pennsylvania's Crash Information Tool, maintained by PennDOT, tracks fatalities from reportable motor vehicle crashes statewide and by county, though no historical crash data for this stretch of road was immediately available. Residents seeking official crash records can also search the Pennsylvania State Police crash-report database.
