COLUMBIA COUNTY, Pa. — A woman has died after a crash on Route 11 in Columbia County Tuesday afternoon.
Police say Ruth Persing, 36, of Berwick, was riding on the back of a motorcycle driven by Franklin Persing from Berwick.
The motorcycle was slowing down to make a turn when an SUV hit it from behind.
Both the driver and the passenger of the motorcycle were thrown from the vehicle. The driver suffered serious injuries, and the passenger, Ruth Persing, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to police, the driver of the sport utility vehicle was looking at his phone just before the crash. That driver, Dennis Mihalik, 57, of Bloomsburg, received minor injuries.
The accident is under investigation.