Driver Dies, Home Destroyed in Pa. Furnace Crash

A motorist died about 1 p.m. Monday when his pickup truck crashed into a Pennsylvania Furnace home, Ferguson Township police said.

It happened at 101 Wyoming Ave., just off state Route 45 and just west of Pine Grove Mills. Police said the pickup truck had been traveling west on Route 45 when, for reasons unknown, it left the roadway.

The vehicle hit a road-sign post and two pine trees before striking the single-family home at 101 Wyoming Ave., according to a news release.

‘The impact into the home ignited two propane tanks to the rear of the residence,’ the release reads. ‘The home was destroyed by the fire.’

Police said the homeowner was near the front of the house when the crash happened, and did not appear to be directly injured. They said the pickup-truck driver, thought to be a 51-year-old from the region, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver’s name was not immediately released. Police said his name will be released after authorities have confirmed his identity and his family has been notified.

An investigation into the crash is continuing, and an autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, according to the news release. Route 45 was closed for four and a half hours after the crash.

Centre LifeLink, Alpha Fire Company, the Alpha Fire Police, Ferguson Township police and the Centre County Coroner’s Office all responded to the scene. Police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash — and anyone who may have relevant information otherwise — to call them at (814) 237-1172.