Coroner Identifies 2 Centre County Residents Killed in Crash Near Philipsburg

Updated 1 p.m. on May 31, 2024.

Two Centre County residents died in a three-vehicle crash Wednesday on U.S. Route 322 near Philipsburg, according to the Centre County Coroner’s Office.

Craig W. Hockinson, 61, of Port Matilda, and Heather L. Ryder, 35, of Philipsburg, were killed in the crash at about 2:30 p.m. on the 2400 block of the Port Matilda Highway in Rush Township, Chief Deputy Coroner JD Kubalak wrote.

One autopsy was performed on Thursday and the other is scheduled for Friday.

The driver of a third vehicle, a 49-year-old Clearfield County man, was unable to avoid the initial crash and was taken to Mount Nittany Medical Center to be treated for minor injuries.

Hockinson was driving a 2008 Kia Sorento eastbound when he crossed into the opposing lane and struck Ryder’s 2012 Ford Focus head-on, according to a crash report from state police at Rockview. The third driver was traveling westbound behind Ryder and struck Hockinson’s vehicle, which was blocking the westbound lane after the initial crash.

Hockinson was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash, and Ryder was “improperly wearing a seatbelt,” police wrote. Both were pronounced dead at the scene

Route 322 was closed between Port Matilda and Philipsburg for more than three hours until reopening at about 6 p.m.