An Allegheny Township woman died after a Sunday night car crash on Route 356 in the township.
Westmoreland County Coroner Tim Carson said Brooklyn L. Meckley, 29, was the only occupant in the car, which was headed south shortly before 11 p.m. when the car veered into the center median before leaving the west shoulder of the road, traveling up an embankment and overturning, Carson said.
Meckley, who was not wearing a seat belt, died of injuries suffered in the crash, Carson said. Airbags weren’t deployed.
The coroner listed her time of death around 12:30 a.m. Monday.
Township police Chief Dan Uncapher did not have any information on the timeline leading up to the crash.
“At the end of the day, this is just an unfortunate set of circumstances of a violent accident and somebody not being restrained,” he said.
Meckley worked as a certified nursing assistant at Longwood at Oakmont in Plum, Presbyterian SeniorCare Network spokesperson Jonathan Szish confirmed.
“Our hearts are definitely with her family, and we’re all saddened by the tragic loss,” he said.
She also was a member of Alive Community Church in Buffalo Township, pastor Dave Roddy said in a Facebook post, and recently was baptized.
“It is a devastating loss for her family and friends, and for us as a church family,” Roddy said. “Brooklyn’s sweet smile and presence in our church family was so beautiful and precious.”
Funeral arrangements were not immediately available.
Route 356 safety concerns
Between 2020 and 2023, PennDOT spent $15.9 million reconfiguring the section of Route 356 leading to the Freeport Bridge in an effort to improve safety.
The changes have not entirely eliminated serious crashes in the area, like the one that killed Meckley, or another just last month that sent an Allegheny Township man to the hospital after he collided with utility lines.
PennDOT Safety Press Officer Emily Swecker said the department does not yet have data on the impact of the safety improvements as a whole.
A truck climbing lane installed in June 2021 in a section of the area targeted for improvements appears to have made an impact, though.
There were no fatalities or serious injuries reported in that stretch between the completion of the lane and the end of 2023, compared to one each in the 2½ years prior. The overall number of crashes fell from 12 to 10 across the two time spans.