Ellwood City Man Dies In 2-Vehicle Crash In West Deer Township

An Ellwood City man died in a two-vehicle crash in West Deer on Monday morning.

The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man on Tuesday as Mark Tedrow, 35.

The crash happened shortly after 10 a.m. in the 300 block of Deer Creek Valley Road.

According to West Deer police Chief Jon Lape, Tedrow was driving a box truck south on Deer Creek Valley Road when just south of Tarentum-Culmerville Road he veered off the road for about 50 feet. His truck crossed back over the road, hitting a northbound car before hitting the guiderail and riding down the guiderail for about 300 feet before stopping.

Lape said there was minor damage to the back of the other car, and the woman driving it, the only occupant, was not hurt.

Lape said officers and medics arrived within seven minutes, and Tedrow was already dead. The chief said police did not know what caused Tedrow’s truck to go off the road.

Although Tedrow was not wearing a seat belt, Lape said he did not suffer injuries in the crash that would have caused his death.

As witnesses said that at one point the truck appeared to be driverless, Lape said Tedrow was slumped over in the vehicle. There were no skid marks or any indication that Tedrow had used his brakes.

While Lape said Tedrow could have suffered a medical issue, police were awaiting a determination on cause of death from the medical examiner.

source: Brian C. Rittmeyer (@BCRittmeyer), Tribune-Review staff writer;  www.triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/ellwood-city-man-killed-in-2-vehicle-crash-in-west-deer/