Recent crashes, fatality add to traffic concerns for Arona Road residents

Oct. 3—Arona Road in Hempfield has seen its share of wrecks, and people who live and work along the state-maintained route worry such incidents could escalate if traffic increases.

Bill and Dianne Wallace have lived along the road, just north of New Stanton, since 1983 and have noted a number of vehicle crashes and close calls.

Most recently, a head-on collision Sept. 21 near the intersection of Middletown Road left one driver dead and the other injured. Two days later, another two-vehicle crash closer to Route 30, at the intersection of DaVinci Drive, sent three people to area hospitals.

According to PennDOT records, there have been five crashes in the vicinity of Middletown Road since 2017.

Traffic on Arona Road has "picked up over the years," Bill Wallace said. "In the last 10 years, it's tripled. It's unbelievable. It's really gotten bad."

Speeding and a proliferation of large trucks are top Arona Road traffic concerns for the Wallaces.

The speed limit changes over the course of the two-lane road, which roughly parallels the Pennsylvania Turnpike between the Irwin and New Stanton interchanges.

It varies from 25 mph in Arona Borough to 45 mph fronting the Wallace home.

"We need (police) to get out here to help slow this traffic down," Bill Wallace said. He said he's seen trucks traveling an estimated 20 mph over the speed limit and drivers attempting to pass in a dip where the view of oncoming traffic is limited.

"They have no idea what's coming the other way," he said.

"I'm glad our kids are grown," Dianne Wallace said. "But, still, we could pull out of the drive and someone could hit us. They fly down the road."

"We'll do a patrol check in an area where we're seeing more serious types of crashes," said Trooper Steve Limani, public information officer at the state police station in Greensburg. "As we see crashes, we definitely will shift our focus.

"It's an ongoing battle, but one we're not afraid to take on. We're working with PennDOT to lessen those types of crashes."

Limani noted that replacing a traditional crossroads with a roundabout can reduce the severity of any crashes because motorists tend to drive at slower speeds as they navigate the circular intersections.

Officials with PennDOT District 12, based in Uniontown, indicated they have not conducted any recent traffic studies on Arona Road.

'Not really made for trucks '

Bill Wallace believes bridge improvements have made it easier for large trucks to access Arona Road and have contributed to their increased numbers on the route.

"This road is not really made for trucks," he said. He recalled that two different box trucks struck the same utility pole near the couple's home.

Darlene Fowler, who moved into a neighboring home four years ago, cites increasing tolls on the turnpike as another likely factor attracting more trucks to Arona Road.

"Since the price on the toll road went up, we get so many 18-wheelers," she said. "There are a lot of oversize loads."

Fowler would like to see the speed limit near her home reduced from 45 mph to 40 mph. But, she said, the existing limit is routinely flouted.

"There's nobody who goes 45 mph," she said.

Fowler and the Wallaces agree that traffic hazards will only increase if plans for opening a 1 million-square-foot warehouse in New Stanton come to fruition.

The developer has indicated the facility — reportedly being eyed by Amazon — could create up to 600 jobs and would be served by about 180 tractor-trailers per day. Amazon has posted online job listings for New Stanton, including positions for warehouse workers and package handlers.

Trucks exiting the warehouse would be expected to access the turnpike by crossing the Glenn Fox Road bridge and following Arona Road to the turnpike.

But the local residents note there's nothing to stop traffic using the remaining length of Arona Road from traveling between the warehouse and Route 30.

"I think there are going to be many accidents," Dianne Wallace said.

"We're not looking forward to it," her husband said. "We want the companies to come in; you want them for the jobs. But there's a better way to get the vehicles in there."

Don Thoma, an insurance agent who works at an office farther north along Arona Road, expressed concern about safety at the intersection with Wendel Road.

He said overgrown brush limits the sight distance for motorists pulling out from the intersection while headed west on Wendel or north on Arona.

Thoma said PennDOT recently improved signage along Arona to alert motorists in advance of intersections and stop signs.

But, he noted, the signs won't help improve safety if drivers don't heed them and fail to use caution when they're behind the wheel.

"People speed and people run stop signs," he said. "People don't pay attention. Many issues are caused by drivers."

Awaiting crash reports

The Hempfield supervisors "haven't heard of any deficiencies in the road system," Chairman George Reese said. "If there are, we'll address them" with state officials.

Reese said the supervisors are always concerned when fatal crashes occur in the township.

"We're monitoring it very closely," he said, while awaiting the final results of state police investigations to determine the causes of the Arona Road crashes.

According to an initial report on the Sept. 21 crash, state police said Betty Wagner, 73, of Smock was fatally injured when her northbound Kia Sedona was struck head-on by a southbound Chevy Trailblazer

Police said Breanne Weber, 23, of Irwin, who was driving the Chevy, crossed into the northbound lane while rounding a curve. Police said she displayed signs of impairment.

On Sept. 23, state police said, James Herrin, 68, of New Stanton was taken to UPMC Presbyterian after his Chevy Silverado struck the driver's side of a Toyota Sienna, struck a utility pole and flipped twice. Police said Herrin, who was following the Toyota, crossed into the opposing lane of traffic and tried to pass on the left side of the Toyota as the Toyota's driver — Tzu-Hua Huang, 55, of Greensburg — slowed and was attempting a left turn onto DaVinci Drive.

Huang and his passenger, Lu-Ping Huang, also 55, were taken to Westmoreland Hospital with suspected minor injuries, police said.

Limani indicated the length of a crash investigation depends on the difficulty in obtaining all the pertinent information. He noted it can take up to six months when data must be extracted from vehicles involved in a serious collision.

Hempfield Supervisor Tom Logan expressed hope that there will be greater state police presence along Arona Road, to help deter speeding and other unsafe driving practices.

But, ultimately, he said, "You can't control how much somebody will push the pedal."

Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff by email at jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter .