Police identify motorcyclist, passenger in fatal Route 422 crash
Butler Township police have identified the motorcyclist who died in a crash Thursday, Aug. 31, and said he was struck by a downed wire on Route 422 West near the exit to Route 8 North.
Frank J. Weber, 34, of Chicora, died at the scene of the Thursday afternoon crash, and his passenger, Kristi Cross, 31, of Chicora, was taken to UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh to be treated for her injuries, police said Friday, Sept. 1.
Police said a vehicle was traveling east on Route 422 with an oversize load when it struck and pulled a “low-hanging” utility wire down. The wire fell across the westbound lanes.
Documents showed the wires then struck Weber and Cross, who were riding together on a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. The motorcycle crash was reported at 12:30 p.m.
The two fell off the motorcycle, according to John Hays, chief of township police, and the motorcycle continued traveling.
Police said Friday that the incident is still under investigation.
Donald Kriley of Summit Township said he called 911 and reported the low-hanging wire on Route 422 to state police at least twice in the last six months. He said he was told the department was in touch with the power company and that they were aware of the situation.
Kriley said the death could have been preventable had the wire been taken care of.
“My heart just sunk when I found out,” he said. “That wire bothered the hell out of me for months.”
He said his stomach turned when his daughter informed him about the accident.
“I said, ‘I guarantee the truck hit that wire,’ and that was what happened,” Kriley said. “I was 100% right. I was hoping the whole time I was wrong.”
The westbound lanes of Route 422 were closed for hours between Route 68 and Route 8 for an investigation, according to Scott Frederick, director of emergency services for Butler Township. The road was reopened by 5:30 p.m., according to PennDOT.
Butler Township Police were assisted by state police, Butler City Police, Butler Ambulance Service, Butler Township Volunteer Fire District, VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services, and Butler City Bureau of Fire.
