ATV racing champ among 5 killed in I-81 crash

Amber South, Chambersburg Public Opinion
Updated ·2 min read

A blown tire led to a crash that killed five people, four of them from one family, Wednesday night on Interstate 81 in Franklin County, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

A dog also died in the wreck, which happened about 8:50 p.m. near mile marker 18 on I-81 northbound in Greene Township. The northbound lanes of the interstate between exits 17 (Walker Road) and 20 (Scotland) were closed for hours after the crash happened until after 6 a.m.

Donald Molander, Kimberly Molander, and their children Miranda Molander, 21, and Dane Molander, 19, of Middletown, Pa., and James Shade, of Martinsburg, W. Va., were pronounced dead at the scene, according to police.

Dane Molander gives his dad, Donald Molander, a ride on his ATV. The Molander family, which also included mom/wife Kimberly and daughter/sister Miranda, were all killed Aug. 9 in a crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg.
Dane Molander gives his dad, Donald Molander, a ride on his ATV. The Molander family, which also included mom/wife Kimberly and daughter/sister Miranda, were all killed Aug. 9 in a crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg.

The Molanders were traveling southbound in an RV which was towing an enclosed trailer. The front left tire blew out, causing the motorhome to travel across the grass median and into the northbound lanes.

The RV struck a tractor-trailer head-on. Shade was the truck driver.

Emergency crews respond to the scene of a fatal crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg, Pa., late Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. A recreational vehicle blew a tire on the interstate highway in , crossed the median and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer, killing four people in the RV and the truck driver, authorities said. (WPMT/FOX43 via AP)
Emergency crews respond to the scene of a fatal crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg, Pa., late Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. A recreational vehicle blew a tire on the interstate highway in , crossed the median and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer, killing four people in the RV and the truck driver, authorities said. (WPMT/FOX43 via AP)

Deceased was ATV racing champion

Dane Molander achieved a number of accolades in the ATV racing world. He just turned pro this year, according to a representative for MX Sports and Racer Productions.

Dane Molander competes in a ATV motocross event. He, his parents and his sister were killed Aug. 9 in a crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg.
Dane Molander competes in a ATV motocross event. He, his parents and his sister were killed Aug. 9 in a crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg.

According to his Instagram, he was the AMA ATV MX Pro-Am National Champion in 2022 and the 2021 ATV MX Amateur Rider of the Year. He was also a four-time ATV MX national champion.

Dane Molander had been competing since March in the 2023 AMA ATV MX Pro-Am championship series, with the most recent event July 21-23 in Ohio.

The next event is this weekend at the Loretta Lynn Ranch in Tennessee. It is famous as the oldest race on the ATV national circuit.

Miranda Molander served as a card girl at Pro Motos ATV motocross races and handed trophies out to the top three finishers. The 21-year-old was killed Aug. 9 along with her brother, ATV motocross champion Dane Molander, and parents Donald and Kimberly Molander, in a crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg.
Miranda Molander served as a card girl at Pro Motos ATV motocross races and handed trophies out to the top three finishers. The 21-year-old was killed Aug. 9 along with her brother, ATV motocross champion Dane Molander, and parents Donald and Kimberly Molander, in a crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg.

ATV motocross was a family affair. Miranda Molander served as a 30-second card girl at professional motocross races, alerting racers and spectators that half a minute remained until the start of the race, and also handed out trophies to the top three finishers, according to the MX Sports and Racer Productions spokesperson.

"Thoughts and prayers go out to the ATV MX Championship community in the loss of a family, and great people," shared Facebook user Josh Cline. "It’s a big weekend for all the racers as they head to Loretta Lynn’s and now face the tragic loss. This one’s a stinger…. Love for the community. Molander’s will be missed."

Emergency crews respond to the scene of a fatal crash on Interstate 81 near Chambersburg, Pa., late Wednesday, Aug. 9, 2023. A recreational vehicle blew a tire on the interstate highway in , crossed the median and collided head-on with a tractor-trailer, killing four people in the RV and the truck driver, authorities said. (Mark Pynes/The Patriot-News via AP)

Public Opinion has contacted Cline for additional comment. A request for comment has also been sent to the AMA ATV MX Pro-Am organization.

This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: ATV racing champ Dane Molander among 5 killed in Pa. crash on I-81