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Violent Crash Claims Frackville Man’s Life

DEER LAKE — A crash involving a tractor trailer and two vehicles turned deadly Thursday morning in Schuylkill County. It was at the intersection of Routes...

DEER LAKE -- A crash involving a tractor trailer and two vehicles turned deadly Thursday morning in Schuylkill County. It was at the intersection of Routes 61 and 895.

This is the same intersection where work is underway to make it safer.

Two cars tangled with a tractor trailer carrying mail at the intersection in Deer Lake. The road was closed for hours to give state troopers room to measure distances and how each vehicle traveled. Scott Bennett, 33, of Frackville was in the car that was crushed between the tractor trailer and a second car. He died.

Fire Chief Mike Strouse said the intersection is dangerous.

"We've had a couple of fatalities at this intersection in the past four months. We had a fatality here just south of the intersection," said Chief Strouse.

A neighbor's house is about a football field length away from the scene. Jack Paul said the crash woke him up.

"I was laying in bed when my whole house shook when the incident occurred, big bang and very loud," explained the neighbor.

PennDOT is doing safety improvements at the intersections of Routes 895 and 61. There is even the possibility of putting a traffic light in. The project won't be complete until 2015.

Chief Strouse said a traffic light is the way to go.

"A light would be a God send actually. I think it's been needed for many, many years. A light would certainly help this intersection," said Chief Strouse.

Just down the street, another neighbor, Bret Reifsynder, is glad to see PennDOT making safety improvements.

"Well a traffic light down there at the intersection should help with the accidents," said Reifsnyder.

PennDOT said on average, there are three crashes at the intersection of Routes 61 and 895 in Deer Lake every year.

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