A year after Route 28 crash in O'Hara, parents seek answers in son's death

It’s been more than a year since Joseph and Deborah Wilkoski lost their son to injuries he suffered in a Route 28 crash.

Yet, they’re still seeking an explanation as the crash remains under investigation.

“I don’t think it’s fair to any family to have to wait a year to get answers,” said Joseph Wilkoski of McMurray.

Zachary Wilkoski, 29, died two days after the crash on Dec. 6, 2017. A tractor-trailer rear-ended his Mustang as it was stopped in traffic on Route 28 southbound near the Fox Chapel exit. He was leaving work at Bayer Corp. at nearby RIDC Park.

The initial police report indicated the truck driver, Arther Wells of Mississippi, was distracted. He was attempting to merge and didn’t see the traffic was stopped, causing him to crash into Wilkoski’s car, the report said.

Two other cars were involved in the accident, but no one else was injured.

A copy of the report was sent to the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office for review. No charges have been filed related to the crash. Wells was charged with an unrelated gun offense for carrying a firearm without a license in the truck.

A message left for state police was not immediately returned. Mike Manko, spokesman for the District Attorney’s Office, said he couldn’t immediately provide an update on the case.

Joseph Wilkoski said he was initially told by the District Attorney’s Office the case would be wrapped up by September, and then it got pushed to October, November and then December.

“I don’t believe we can push the state police. I don’t believe we can push the DA to do anything,” he said. “I’m hoping that after the people in those organizations hear this, they become more sensitive to the victims.”

He said he also hasn’t been able to get a final report from the crash reconstruction, which he believes could provide some closure for the family.

“It would help us understand why Zach was killed — was it something that we see in the initial report or were there other circumstances?” he said.

Joseph Wilkoski said an electronic control module indicates his son’s car was stopped five or six seconds before it was hit by the tractor-trailer.

“My son was stopped,” he said. “Why wasn’t he safe?”

Zachary Wilkoski’s sister, Jennifer, said losing him has left a void that can’t be filled, and not having closure on what happened makes it even harder to heal.

“I think, for us, the next step is just to continue to remember Zach,” she said. “He’s still part of our lives, part of our hearts, but this is a huge distraction from that.”

His family said Zachary Wilkoski was starting to come into his own in his career and adult life. He was quickly rising up through the ranks at Bayer and was preparing to move into his own place after having lived with roommates.

They said he was always there for his friends and family, often planning get-togethers and making sure everyone had a good time.

“He was a happy guy, always a smile on his face, willing to help anybody,” Deborah Wilkoski said through tears. “His roommates called him ‘Dad’ because he took care of them all.”

Just a couple of months before her son was killed, she had been planning a trip to Italy with him and Jennifer and a few other family members. They made the trip in the spring and took his ashes with them to spread as they traveled through Italy.

Joseph Wilkoski said he is happy he got the chance not only to be his son’s parent, but to get to know him on more of a friendly level as well.

“We got the chance to enjoy our son’s company, and that’s been taken away,” he said. “You don’t realize how lucky you are — or were — until something is gone.”

Joseph Wilkoski said he just wants justice for his son, whatever that may end up being. He said it’s his job to continue to protect Zachary.

“You can’t really understand a loss that’s the loss of a child,” Joseph Wilkoski said. “I’ve lost parents, I’ve lost a sister, I’ve lost a nephew recently, which was difficult, but there’s nothing like the loss of a son or daughter.”

Emily Balser is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Emily at 724-226-4680, emilybalser@tribweb.com or via Twitter @emilybalser.