Following a single motorbike collision on Saturday night in Wilmington Township, two persons perished. The incident was reported at 6:42 p.m. on Saturday on New Castle-Mercer Road close to Windmill Lane, according to Pennsylvania State Police.
Dennis Kennedy, the 71-year-old driver, lost control of the motorcycle while making a left turn, according to the police, and it flipped over. Dennis was transported by air to St. Elizabeth’s in Youngstown, where he succumbed to his wounds later.
According to PSP, the passenger, 69-year-old Elissa Kennedy, also died from her injuries. She was declared deceased on the spot.
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William A. Baer, 49, of New Wilmington, was riding a motorcycle when it collided with a pickup truck in Wilmington Township on Tuesday evening.
Abram Weidenhamer, 39, of New Wilmington, the pickup’s driver, has also been charged by state police with two counts of reckless driving, one counts each of aggravated assault by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, accident involving damage to attended property or vehicles, disregarding traffic lane, violating vehicle turning left laws, careless driving, and failure to stop and render aid.
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According to Lawrence County Deputy Coroner Samuel Teolis, Weidenhamer reportedly left the scene of the collision on Tuesday evening but turned himself in on Wednesday. Teolis declared Baer dead at the scene. Teolis reported that an autopsy was being done on Baer on Wednesday in the late afternoon to ascertain his fatal wounds.
According to a police report, the collision happened Tuesday night around 9:50 p.m. on Route 18 and Johnston Road.
Police claimed that Weidenhamer, the driver of the Toyota Tundra, was in the right lane of the truck traveling south on Route 18 when it struck the motorcycle that was traveling north. According to authorities, once the motorcycle got shoved under the truck and became lodged there, the truck caught fire. Baer was thrown from the bike, according to the report.
The pickup truck burst into flames after the impact. An employee of the nearby UPS center at the scene said she heard a loud boom and she went outside and saw the flames and called 911.
The employee reported seeing the truck driver leave while donning a fluorescent-colored hoodie.
Bystanders reported that a nearby tree was set ablaze by the fire. Early yesterday, police stated that they were unsure of Weidenhamer’s seat belt usage. They said Baer wasn’t sporting a helmet.
Further investigation is being conducted by the state police forensic services and collision analysis and reconstruction specialist (CARS) teams. Mercer state police, aviation units, Noga EMS, and the Neshannock, Shenango Township, and New Wilmington Borough police all provided assistance at the location.