Mother, Toddler Die In Pittsburgh-Area Crash

WASHINGTON COUNTY, PA — A mother and her toddler were killed Sunday in a crash involving a tractor-trailer.

The crash occurred on eastbound I-70 in Claysville at around 1:10 p.m.

Pennsylvania State Police said a man driving a Toyota Camry westbound with his wife and toddler inside lost control of the vehicle, went over the center median and ended up in the eastbound lanes.

“That sedan goes up and over about a 20-foot hill,” Trooper Rocco Gagliardi said. “As it’s coming back down that hill and gaining more speed, it’s now entering I-70 eastbound lanes. As that sedan makes its way onto the eastbound lanes, a tractor-trailer, at the same time, is now traveling 70 eastbound. At that time, the Camry strikes into that tractor-trailer unit.”

After hitting the truck, the Camry spun out and the mother and child were ejected. The tractor-trailer was pushed off the road and hit an occupied house.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene. The toddler was taken to a nearby hospital and died a short time later. The driver of the car was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

The driver of the tractor-trailer and the occupants of the home were evaluated at the scene and did not require hospitalization.

Police said it's currently unclear what caused the driver of the Camry to lose control.

“It’s a tough one,” Gagliardi said. “All fatalities are tough, but when you throw in the mixture of a toddler or someone a little bit younger, there’s a little bit more of a heavy weight to troopers and first responders on scene, seeing that especially with today being Mother’s Day.”