3 Killed Over 5-Day New Year Period: Pennsylvania State Police

PENNSYLVANIA — Three people died in crashes over the New Year holiday period, according to Pennsylvania State Police. And one of those crashes involved alcohol.

From Dec. 31, 2025 to Jan. 4, troopers investigated 1,098 vehicle crashes, and impaired driving was identified as a factor in 69 of these crashes

Three crashes resulted in three deaths, one of which involved alcohol and one that killed a juvenile, police said.

One fatal crash happened Jan. 1 in Clarion Township, Clarion County, authorities said. Additional details on that crash were not made available.

Another happened on Interstate 476 north in Franklin Township, Carbon County. The crash occurred at about 3:27 a.m. at mile marker 76.2.

According to state police, troopers were called to that area for a repot of a fatal pedestrian strike and found a man, identified as 32-year-old Luis A. Carlo, of Bethlehem, dead on the road.

Police said three vehicles — a red Mazda Protégé, a gray Toyota Camry, and a Dodge Ram tow truck there to tow the Mazda — were stopped along the northbound shoulder of I-476 north. The Jeep, driven by Luis K. Fargas-Carrion, 27, of Allentown, was driving in the left lane of the highway and as he approached the stopped vehicles he swerved from the left lane to the shoulder for "unknown reasons," police said.

As a result, the Jeep struck Carlo, who was helping the tow company in loading the Mazda, police said. The Jeep overturned and Carlo was thrown by the impact, according to police. Three passengers in the Jeep were also hurt, one seriously, police said.

Fargas-Carrion was charged with reckless driving, according to authorities.

The third fatal crash happened at about 5:58 p.m. on Churchtown Road in Salisbury Township, Lancaster County, and killed a juvenile boy, police said.

A Dodge Caravan was heading south on Churchtown Road, and the juvenile boy was in front of fit on a scooter. Police said the Dodge "failed to travel past" the juvenile "with caution," and struck the boy from behind. The boy was thrown from the scooter and taken to Reading Hospital, where he later died, police said.

It's unclear if the Dodge's driver has been or will be charged.

In 2024, state police reported 511 crashes over the New Year holiday period, but last year's period was three days as opposed to five days this year. Last year, police reported 39 DUI-related crashes and only one fatal crash.

Troopers took 378 people into custody for driving under the influence over the five days.

Enforcement efforts also led to the issuance of numerous citations. Troopers issued 4,377 citations for speeding and 508 for failing to wear a seat belt. Additionally, 60 citations were issued for not securing children in safety seats.

These statistics reflect only those incidents investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police. They do not include incidents handled by other law enforcement agencies within the Commonwealth.

_This article includes AI-assisted reporting. Editors reviewed all content for accuracy._