Ohio man aiding disabled motorist killed when semi strikes his vehicle on I-90 in Girard
An Ohio man who was assisting a disabled motorist along Interstate 90 in Girard Township late Monday afternoon was killed when his stopped vehicle was struck by a passing tractor-trailer, according to the Pennsylvania State Police.
State police in Girard identified the victim Tuesday morning as 69-year-old Jose M. Alicea Gonzalez, of Conneaut, Ohio. He died instantly in the crash, which was reported Monday at 5:38 p.m. along the westbound lanes of I-90 east of the Route 18 Girard/Platea exit, the investigating trooper reported.
According to the trooper, state police in Girard had received a call about a Chevrolet Colorado that was stopped in the right lane of I-90 westbound, and troopers were on their way to the location when the crash was reported.
Investigators determined that Gonzalez was attempting to provide aid to the disabled motorist and had parked the Chevrolet Colorado in the right travel lane of I-90, next to the disabled vehicle, while attempting to jump the disabled vehicle. As Gonzalez stood on the berm of the interstate, under the open hood of the disabled vehicle, a passing tractor-trailer struck the Chevrolet Colorado, which was knocked into the disabled vehicle, which then struck Gonzalez, according to state police.
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The driver of the disabled vehicle, a 44-year-old Cleveland woman, was struck in the face by her vehicle and was taken by ambulance to UPMC Hamot for treatment, the trooper reported.
The tractor-trailer traveled along the north berm before leaving the roadway and traveling down a ravine. The truck came to rest in Elk Creek, state police reported.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, a 68-year-old Ontario man, was freed from the wrecked truck and was taken to UPMC Hamot with unknown injuries, according to the trooper.
The westbound lanes of I-90 were closed between the Route 18 and Route 98 exits for several hours as emergency crews remained at the scene, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation reported.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on X @ETNhahn.
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Ohio man killed when semi hits his stopped vehicle on I-90 in Girard
