BREAKING NEWS: Police ID Two Killed in Route 157 Crash

| May 11, 2018

CRANBERRY TWP., Pa. (EYT) – The Pennsylvania State Police in Franklin have released details surrounding a three-vehicle crash that left two people dead on Thursday morning on State Route 157 in Cranberry Township, Venango County.

(Photos by Tyler Ochs)

According to police, 23-year old Michael Falla, of Dover, Delaware, the driver of a 2001 Toyota Rav4, and 31-year old Bryant Atwell, of Kennerdell, an occupant in Falla’s vehicle, were killed in the crash that occurred at 6:53 a.m. on Thursday.

A third person, 39-year old Christina Cohlhepp, of Tionesta, a driver of a 2013 Subaru Outback, was transported to UPMC Northwest by Community Ambulance where she was treated for minor injuries and later released.

According to state police, the crash occurred in the 600 block of State Route 157, 509 feet east of Gabler Lane.

A school van, a 2015 Chevrolet Traverse LS, driven by Julie Sollinger, 55, of Cranberry, was traveling east on State Route 157 and was stopped in the eastbound lane waiting for oncoming traffic to clear while preparing to turn into a driveway.

As the vehicle driven by Falla approached the area, Falla, according to state police, failed to “properly observe” Sollinger’s vehicle stopped in the roadway. State police said Falla swerved left in an attempt to avoid Sollinger’s vehicle but the front right of Falla’s Rav4 struck the rear of the Traverse.

Police say after the initial impact, the Rav4 began rotating in a clockwise manner into the westbound lane of State Route 157 directly into the path of Cohlhepp’s vehicle, which struck Falla’s on the driver’s side door at the 9 o’clock position. Both Falla’s Rav4 and Cohlehpp’s Outback came to a point of final rest in a ditch along the north edge of State Route 157.

Both Falla, who police said was wearing a seatbelt, and Atwell, who police said wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, were pronounced dead at the scene by Venango County Coroner Christina Rugh at approximately 8:05 a.m.

The school van driven by Sollinger was transporting a 17-year old student of the Cranberry School District at the time of the accident. Neither the student nor Sollinger, who were both using seatbelts, were injured according to state police.

Cohlhepp was also wearing a seatbelt.

All three vehicles sustained disabling damage and were removed from the scene by Minich’s Towing and Venango Towing.

The investigation is continuing.

The accident shut down Route 157 for the entire morning and reopened at 12:30 p.m.

Assisting the state police at the scene were Community Ambulance Service, the Seneca VFD, Pine Grove VFD, PennDOT, Venango Towing, and Minich’s Towing.


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