The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission is installing a temporary traffic signal along Richland Avenue in Dravosburg, months after a 15-year-old Serra Catholic student was killed in a crash along the busy roadway.
Samantha Lee Kalkbrenner was pronounced dead at the scene after a Serra Catholic school van and a Volkswagen Jetta crashed near the intersection of Richland Avenue and Third Street.
The Turnpike Commission now plans to install the light at the intersection of Richland Avenue and Fifth Street in an attempt to keep drivers safe.
“In light of recent accidents, fatalities and ongoing safety issues in this area, local leadership and statewide transportation agencies came together to mobilize our joint resources to provide this community what they have requested and immediately need,” PA Turnpike Commissioner Sean Logan said in a statement. “The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission stands ready and committed to providing the necessary design, funding, and construction of this signal in a timely fashion.”
The Sept. 20 crash shocked the small community, causing residents to call on local officials to slow traffic on the roadway they say is often prone to crashes.
Investigators for the crash said at the time they believed the van was making a left turn from Third Street onto Richland Avenue, a four-lane road, when it was struck by the Jetta, which was heading north on Richland Avenue. Both vehicles were heavily damaged, with airbags deployed in both. A door on the Jetta was ripped off, pieces of it scattered among the large field of debris. Windows of the school van were shattered.
Three other juveniles were taken to the hospital in stable condition. Police at the time said their injuries did “not appear to be life-threatening.” Two adults were also taken to the hospital in critical condition.
According to the Turnpike Commission, the traffic signal was approved Nov. 3 after PennDOT completed a traffic signal warrant study requested by Dravosburg. The study came after Dravosburg council members passed an ordinance making left turns on Richland Avenue illegal and punishable by law.
“The installation of this traffic signal is a critical step in our ability to support the safety of our residents and motorists,” state Sen. Jim Brewster said in a statement.
The traffic signal is part of ongoing safety improvements to the Mon/Fayette Expressway, a years-long project that includes an 8 mile stretch between Route 51 in Jefferson Hills to Route 837 in Duquesne. Because of the size of the project it was broken into seven construction zones including Jefferson Hills, West Mifflin, Dravosburg, Clairton and Duquesne.
First Published: November 15, 2023, 5:30 p.m.
Updated: November 15, 2023, 9:19 p.m.
