Pa. man killed in crash was father-to-be

Son-in-law of Sen. Terry Punt died when car hit house

March 20, 2008|By DON AINES

WAYNESBORO, Pa. -- A 22-year-old man killed in a single-car crash Wednesday in St. Thomas Township was looking forward to the birth of his first child this summer, his father-in-law, state Sen. Terry Punt, said Thursday.

Thriften Darcey Barlup, of 1614 Wenger Way in Chambersburg, Pa., was killed when the car he was driving ran off Hade Road, sheared a utility pole in half and crashed into a house, Pennsylvania State Police said. Speed and wet road conditions contributed to the accident, police said.

"We're just very devastated, Thriften's family and (his wife) Erin's family," Punt said.

Barlup was the son of Timothy A. Barlup of Waynesboro, and Kiwi K. (Williams) McIntyre of Smithsburg, according to his obituary.

"He was looking so forward to being a father, as I was to being a grandfather," Punt said. Barlup recently had finished the nursery for the baby, who is due in July and will be named Phoenix R. Barlup, Punt said.

Barlup and his wife both were employed by Washington Township, Township Manager Michael Christopher said. Erin works as a receptionist and Thriften had been hired a few weeks ago to work at the township recycling center, he said.

"We ask that people keep Erin, Terry and Chris (Punt's son) in their prayers," Christopher said. "This is a time of great need for the whole family -- the Punts and the Barlups."

"He was a very, very polite, nice young man. Very much in love with Erin," a tearful Punt said. "He treated her with kindness, respect and love."

Thriften and Erin Punt were married Dec. 16, 2007, according to the obituary. He enjoyed collecting baseball cards, skateboarding, music, movies and feeding ducks, it stated.

Punt said he informed his daughter of her husband's death, going to the couple's home with Franklin County Coroner Jeffrey R. Conner and family friends. Because of her pregnancy, Conner felt she should not be informed by a stranger, Punt said.

"She's been very, very strong through it all," Punt said of his daughter.

Thriften Barlup's death came a couple of weeks after the anniversary of the death of Erin's mother, Cheryl, who died last year, Punt said.

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