Police Identify Victims of I-79 Crash

State police have identified the two people killed in Thursday afternoon’s crash on Interstate 79 in South Fayette.

Two people died and another two were seriously injured when a Pontiac traveling north near the interstate rest area crossed the grassy median and crashed into a southbound vehicle at about 12:30 p.m.

The driver of the Pontiac, Elizabeth Gilbert, 22 of Prosperity, died at the scene, and a male passenger in the car was taken to Mercy Hospital with serious injuries, police said.

A passenger in the Toyota sedan, Katherine Wright, 66, of Rivesville, W.Va., also died at the crash scene. The driver of that car, whose identity has not been released, was taken to Allegheny General Hospital with what state police considered to be life-threatening injuries.

The crash snarled southbound traffic for hours–traffic was backed up to the Kirwan Heights exit at one point–as state police remained on scene to investigate the accident.

The lanes were opened shortly after 5 p.m., although traffic was still moving slowly through the area.