On June 27, 2017 just after 4:00 p.m. a crash was reported near the 16 mile marker of I-79 South. A Honda Pilot traveling north crossed the median and struck a south bound Ford Expedition in a T-bone style crash. The Ford SUV was a WV DOH vehicle.
The driver of the Pilot, Edna Martin Gallian (80 years old of Clendenin, WV), and a passenger of the Expedition, Glenn F. Lough (47 years old of Fraziers Bottom, WV) were killed in the crash. The driver of the Expedition and another passenger in that vehicle were injured in the crash. A third vehicle was damaged by debris from the first two vehicles colliding, but neither the driver or passenger were injured.
The highway was closed for several hours during the investigation and cleanup. There were no other occupants in the Honda Pilot. The reason the vehicle crossed the median is still unknown. The investigation is being handled by a crash reconstruction expert with the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.