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Pickup truck and cement truck collide in deadly crash along Giants Despair

Troopers say the driver of the cement truck ignored signs saying trucks over 10.5 tons are not allowed down the road.

LAUREL RUN, Pa. — State police at Wyoming said the driver of a pickup truck has died after a crash with a cement truck along East Northampton Street in Laurel Run. 

It happened around 11:30 a.m. Monday.

The coroner had identified the crash victim as Louis Walkowiak of Laurel Run.

The steep, winding road is also called Giant's Despair. It's the scene of an annual road race known as the Giants Despair Hill Climb.

Laurel Run Fire Department Deputy Chief Jolene Tavaglione said she's dispatched here often but she's never seen a crash like this.

"It's not every day you see a cement truck spilt in half with the barrel off the truck itself, but it was hard," Tavaglione said.

The road was shut down for almost seven hours.

"I see a lot of crashes going down this road. It's a very bad road for big trucks. There are signs, I guess they don't pay attention," Ray Ashford of Laurel Run said.

Troopers said the driver of the cement truck ignored the signs saying trucks over 10.5 tons are prohibited down the road.

"There's a sign at the bottom and then there's a sign at the very top, and then, also, if you go up Laurel Run Road, like, if you're traveling down Laurel Run Road down 115, I believe there's six saying not to go down this road," Tavaglione said.

"I see people coming up this road all of the time getting pulled over by cops and everything, and they always try to stop it, but it always seems to happen. Just pay attention to the road signs more," Ashford added.

State police have not said whether any charges will be filed in connection with this deadly crash.

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