Sun glare cited as factor in vehicle, pedestrian collision in Harrison

Sun glare is believed to have contributed to a 72-year-old driver hitting and seriously injuring a 64-year-old woman in Harrison, township police Chief Brian Turack said Tuesday.

Township police filed four summary traffic charges against Mark A. Waltenbaugh of Tarentum.

The collision happened around 4:35 p.m.

Waltenbaugh was driving a sedan toward Tarentum on Freeport Road on Monday afternoon when he went through a red light at California Avenue, Turack said. He is not believed to have been speeding.

The woman, a Harrison resident whose name was not released, was crossing Freeport Road in the crosswalk from Sheetz toward Highlands Middle School when she was hit, Turack said.

Waltenbaugh, who remained at the scene, cooperated with officers and the investigation, the chief said. Police believe that glare from the setting sun on the horizon was a contributing factor to the collision.

Waltenbaugh was not hurt.

The woman was taken to Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh with severe injuries, but was last known to be in stable condition, Turack said.

It’s the same area where Gary Rhebb, 74, of Harrison died after he was hit by a car on Nov. 8.

Last month, Turack described the road’s traffic signals as outdated and working independently of each other.

Many drivers use side streets to avoid the traffic signals, while others, frustrated by waiting at red lights with no other vehicles approaching, speed up to get through, officials said.

The township commissioners have hired HRG Engineering to come up with a solution to synchronize the lights. Having the lights work together would improve safety by making it so a vehicle doesn’t get stopped at every red light, Turack previously said.