Truck driver in fatal 2017 Route 28 crash charged

The driver of a tractor-trailer truck involved in a fatal crash on Route 28 more than a year ago has been charged.

Arther Wells, 70, of Mississippi, is charged with homicide by vehicle, involuntary manslaughter, recklessly endangering another person, reckless driving and following too closely. He remains in the Allegheny County Jail. His bail is set at $5,000.

Sgt. Rocco Russo, with the state police’s Kittanning station, said Wells turned himself in last week after the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office approved the charges.

Wells is charged in the Dec. 6, 2017 crash that killed Zachary Wilkoski, 29, of Carnegie. Police say the tractor-trailer truck that Wells was driving rear-ended Wilkoski’s Mustang as it was stopped in traffic on Route 28 southbound near the Fox Chapel exit. Wilkoski was leaving work at Bayer Corp. in the nearby RIDC Park.

The initial police report indicated Wells 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. Wilkoski’s car was completely stopped.

Wilkoski’s parents, Joseph and Deborah Wilkoski, recently spoke out publicly about their frustration in waiting for a resolution to what happened in the crash.

They said Thursday morning they are happy with the progress made this week.

“We’re pleased that it’s moving forward, and we’ll see where it goes,” Joseph Wilkoski said. “It’s a good first step.”

The family said waiting for the outcome of the investigation has made it hard for the family to have closure and try to move on over the past year.

Russo said it’s not unusual for an investigation involving a commercial vehicle to last at least a year because so many agencies have to be involved including police, an accident reconstruction team and the district attorney’s office. The tractor-trailer truck also had to be inspected.

“We truly wanted to make sure the investigation is 100 percent complete and everybody was in agreement with what should be charged,” Russo said.

Russo said the section of Route 28 near the Highland Park Bridge is the site of multiple crashes per year because the highway goes down to one lane and traffic bottlenecks as vehicles merge. He urges drivers to use extra caution in that area.

“The biggest thing is, if people could just slow down and pay attention,” he said. “They truly have to focus on driving.”

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