Details released in fatal 7-car crash

BY STACI WILSON

Investigators from the Pennsylvania State Police, Gibson released the details of a seven-vehicle wreck that claimed aMarylandman’s life on July 18.

A reconstruction of the accident scene took place Tuesday, July 24 on I-81, Lenox Twp.

Brian Wilcox, 56, Lutherville, Md., was killed in the crash.

Two other drivers sustained injuries in the interstate pile-up. Leonard Oliviero, 69, Kingsley, suffered a major injury in the crash; and Donna Horn, 49,Benbrook,Texas, sustained a moderate injury, according to the police report.

The crash occurred as Samba Doucoure, 42, Greensboro, N.C., was driving a Freightliner in the right lane of I-81 north near mile marker 209 in an advanced warning of a work zone.

Doucoure came around a right curve and forced two cars off the left side of the roadway onto the berm.

He then struck a vehicle in the rear driven by Nicholas Johnson, 32,Watertown,N.Y., causing Johnson’s vehicle to rotate.

Johnson’s vehicle then struck Oliviero’s pickup truck.

The Freightliner then hit Wilcox’s vehicle in a rear end collision, causing Wilcox to spin and hit Horn.

Wilcox’s Lexus then spun counter clockwise and coming to rest off the berm against a guide rail.

After the impact with Wilcox, Horn’s vehicle struck the ICC bar of a Freightliner driven by Brian Battaglia, 44,Amsterdam,N.Y.

Doucoure’s tractor trailer struck a guide rail with its left side, continued traveling north along the berm and hit the mirror of Battaglia’s vehicle; and then struck the rear left side of a seventh vehicle driven by Richard Poplawski, 49, Melville, N.Y.

Tpr. Michael Joyce investigated the fatal crash.

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