Crash kills Pa. woman, injures three

April 06, 2000|By DON AINES

GREENCASTLE, Pa. - A Greencastle woman was killed and her twin grandsons injured Wednesday morning in a two-vehicle accident on Molly Pitcher Highway in Antrim Township, according to Pennsylvania State Police.

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Anabelle Young, 58, of 30 Disert Drive, was pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:15 a.m. accident, according to Franklin County Coroner Jeffrey R. Conner. It occurred just north of Interstate 81's Exit 2 at the entrance of Mason-Dixon Auto Auction, 12876 Molly Pitcher Highway.

Young's death was the second traffic fatality in the county this year.

Andrew and Travis Young, 14, both of 2206 Buchanan Trail East, Greencastle, were taken to Washington County Hospital in Hagerstown. A hospital spokeswoman said Andrew was in serious condition Wednesday afternoon and his brother was in fair condition.

Also in fair condition at the hospital was the driver of the other vehicle, Thomas Hale Brooks, 34, of 522 S. Main St., Chambersburg, Pa.

None of the people in the vehicles was wearing a seatbelt, police said.

Trooper Angel L. Garcia said Anabelle Young was driving her grandsons to school when the accident happened. She was driving a 1996 Oldsmobile north when Brooks, who was southbound in a 1984 Chevy Blazer, tried to make a left turn into the auto auction, Garcia said.

The right front of Brooks' Blazer struck the left front of Young's car. The Blazer was forced back 22 feet by the impact and the Oldsmobile went up an embankment before stopping partially in the southbound lane, police said.

Garcia said a state police accident reconstructionist was called in to investigate the crash. Molly Pitcher highway was closed between Exit 2 and 3 for about three hours while the scene was investigated and cleared.

North and southbound traffic was detoured onto the interstate, Garcia said.

Anabelle Young was the mother of four sons and had 13 grandchildren, according to her son, Michael Young of Greencastle. He and his wife, Karen, are the parents of Travis and Andrew. Another son, Rodney Young of Greencastle, said his mother ran a hairdressing business in her home.

"She had taken my wife out to breakfast and was taking them to school," said Michael Young. He said she frequently took them out for breakfast.

He said his sons are ninth-graders at Greencastle-Antrim High School. Travis was sitting in the front passenger seat at the time of the accident and was in the intensive care unit Wednesday evening, Young said.

Andrew was admitted overnight for observation, he said.

Garcia said an investigation is continuing.

An employee at the auto auction said Brooks did not work there and she did not know why he was coming to the business.

Conner did not release a cause of death for Young. He said an autopsy would be performed today at Lehigh Valley Medical Center in Allentown, Pa.

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