MERCER COUNTY, Pa. — Authorities have identified the semi-truck driver killed in a multi-vehicle crash on Interstate 79 in Mercer County as 22-year-old Austin Golab of Erie, Pennsylvania, according to the Mercer County Coroner’s Office.
The fatal crash happened during hazardous winter weather conditions along I-79, where snow-covered roads and reduced visibility caused traffic to slow or come to a stop. Investigators said one tractor-trailer was either stopped or moving slowly when it was struck from behind by another semi-truck. A third commercial vehicle then collided with the wreckage.
Golab was driving the third truck involved in the collision and was pronounced dead at the scene. Mercer County Coroner John Libonati said Golab died from blunt force trauma to the head and chest, and his death has been ruled accidental.
Polish Falcons 3rd Street Nest 610 in Erie, Pennsylvania, shared a statement expressing grief over Golab’s death. The organization said it was deeply saddened by the sudden loss of the 22-year-old, who died as a result of a traffic accident on I-79. Golab had worked in the kitchen at Nest 610 for several years before heading into the Army.
The statement noted that Golab’s father, Mike, bowls in the organization’s Friday night league, while his grandparents, Mike and Ginny, are members, and his aunt Michelle works in the kitchen. The message also mentioned that Golab leaves behind extended family members and loved ones, and it asked the community to keep those affected in their prayers.
Another driver involved in the crash was taken to a local hospital with injuries. That person’s condition has not been released.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s 511PA system, the crash occurred on I-79 northbound just over one mile north of Exit 122 in Jackson Township. NBC affiliate WFMJ in Youngstown, Ohio, reported that the incident forced the closure of both northbound and southbound lanes of I-79 between the I-80 interchange and Exit 130 for several hours. Pennsylvania State Police later confirmed that all lanes have since reopened.
Sources said Golab was traveling back to Slippery Rock University, where he was a student, at the time of the crash. He was an Army specialist and a graduate of Cathedral Preparatory School, and he had also studied at Gannon University.
Friends and community members in Erie have begun sharing tributes, remembering Golab as a young man with a promising future. Pennsylvania State Police continue to investigate the cause of the crash and say the incident underscores the dangers commercial drivers face during severe winter weather conditions.
