Mother, toddler killed in Washington County crash

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Pa. — A mother and her toddler were killed in a major crash involving a tractor-trailer in Washington County on Sunday.

The crash on eastbound I-70 in Claysville was reported around 1:10 p.m. on Sunday.

According to Pennsylvania State Police, a man driving a Toyota Camry westbound with his wife and toddler inside lost control and went over the center median, landing in the eastbound lanes.

“That sedan goes up and over about a 20-foot hill,” said Trooper Rocco Gagliardi. “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.”

Following impact with the truck, police say the Camry spun out, and the mother and child were ejected. The tractor-trailer was also pushed off the road and hit an occupied home.

PSP says the woman died on scene. The toddler died at a nearby hospital. The husband, who was driving the car, was taken to the hospital with minor injuries.

Warco says the child was not in a car seat, and the adults weren’t wearing seatbelts.

The driver of the tractor-trailer and everyone inside the home that was hit were evaluated by medics at the scene.

The investigation into the crash is ongoing, including figuring out what caused the driver of the Camry to lose control.

The crash shut down eastbound I-70 for several hours.

“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.”

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