Coroner identifies woman killed in crash near highway interchange in Centre County
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- Coroner identified Mary Edwards, 74, as passenger killed in Spring Township crash.
- Crash occurred after sunset in rain as a Jaguar turned left into a southbound F-350.
- Autopsy cited blunt force chest trauma and ruled the death accidental.
A woman who died in a rush-hour crash near a major highway interchange in Centre County was identified Thursday as a Bedford County resident.
Mary Edwards, 74, of Saxton, died Friday in the crash on the 1400 block of Jacksonville Road in Spring Township, Centre County Deputy Coroner Jason Brooks said in a press release.
An autopsy conducted Saturday determined Edwards died of blunt force chest trauma. Her death was ruled accidental, the Centre County Coroner’s Office said.
The driver of a Ford F-350 towing a camper about 5:05 p.m. Friday was traveling southbound when they collided with a Jaguar station wagon that turned left in front of them, Spring Township police said in a Facebook post.
Edwards, who was a passenger in the Jaguar, died at the scene. The driver of the station wagon was treated at Mount Nittany Medical Center for moderate injuries. The driver of the heavy-duty pickup was not injured.
The cause of the crash — which occurred shortly after sunset and as rain fell — remains under investigation. At least one lane of Interstates 80 and 99 were closed for about 2 1/2 hours Friday evening.
A $259 million project to construct a direct, high-speed connection between I-80 and I-99 is ongoing. Construction of high-speed ramps would eliminate the need to travel along state Route 26 to access either highway. It is expected to be completed by 2030.
There were eight fatal crashes in Spring Township during the previous decade for which PennDOT statistics are available. That was tied for the fourth most of any municipality in Centre County, trailing Rush, Walker and Potter townships.